


Spirit of Things

by samwise_baggins, Steve-Bucky-Stucky (Chemical30)



Category: Political Animals, The Night Manager (TV), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Hunters, Ghosts, Graphic Sex, Graphic Violence, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Minor Character Death, Period-Typical Homophobia, Starvation, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-11 03:02:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 29,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16467419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samwise_baggins/pseuds/samwise_baggins, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chemical30/pseuds/Steve-Bucky-Stucky
Summary: A brand new vampire, left on his own, needs help in every way possible. He just didn’t think he’d need spiritual help.





	Spirit of Things

Walking a few steps behind his _Sire_ , moonlight shimmering off porcelain pale skin, red eyes practically glowing in the night air, Thomas _‘TJ’_ Hammond worried at his bottom lip, a flash of a pointed fang glimmering for a moment. “Are . . . Sean, are you sure? You - - we just fed yesterday . . . isn’t this . . . too soon?”

Shaking his head, Sean glanced quickly over his shoulder, moonlight gilding his blond hair, making it almost silver-white. “Not for a newborn. You need to feed every day for a little while, until you build your strength up.” Turning once more, Sean scanned the road and field.

“But . . . we almost got caught last night,” TJ pointed out in a quiet whisper, his wild mess of brunet curls piled on top of his head, the pair of dark jeans he wore a bit mud splattered from walking through the forest. He couldn’t deny the hungry gnawing at his stomach, an almost body-aching hunger that he still hadn’t gotten used to. It wasn’t the type of hunger he’d come to know in his eighteen years of life as a human - - no, this was a different type. Something so ravenous and . . . violent that TJ could only think one thing: he was a monster.

“Ah, here comes someone,” Sean broke the night with satisfaction in his tones. “So, you remember how to neutralize it?”

Red eyes flickering towards the road, seeing the figure approaching, though right then it was nothing more than a shadowy outline, TJ shook his head, “I - - I . . .” He still couldn’t get over killing a _human_.

“If you don’t do it right, the creature will scream and we’ll be found. Now, like I showed you. Grab it and smother it then feed.” Sean gave the younger man a hard push towards the road.

Stumbling through the treeline into the open, TJ glanced over his shoulder and then back at their latest victim. Swallowing thickly, his mouth feeling dry, his body responding to the meal in front of him, TJ rushed forward, putting his hand over the man’s mouth and opening his mouth to sink his teeth into the prey’s neck.

The man bit TJ’s hand roughly and kicked backwards into TJ’s knee at the same time. Wrench away, despite his throat being ripped from the action, he let out a blood-curdling scream of terror. Lights came on in the houses closest to the field.

“Damn it!” Sean hurried down to the road and pushed TJ, hard, into the bushes. He turned to follow when several gunshots rang out, slowing the older man enough to allow several townspeople to catch up. THey circled the wounded blond quickly and started actually binding him, dragging him towards the town center amid screams, cries, and insults.

TJ watched from the bushes, eyes wide and scared. What had he done? He had to get Sean back! He couldn’t let Sean get hurt because he’d failed to silence his prey right away. Slinking off into the treeline, hiding his slender, dark clothed body in the thick trees and bushes, TJ followed the sound of Sean’s voice until he made it to the edge of town, close enough where he could see the center of the small town near the border of Canada. He used the shadow of one of the buildings to hide himself as he inched closer. He didn’t know how those bullets stopped Sean . . . Sean had told him that man-made weapons didn’t hurt them . . . so the gun shouldn’t have slowed him down so much!

Of the men called out to the gathering crowd, “guy thinks he’s some kinda fuckin’ vampire or something! He _bit_ Henry!” The victim, holding a hand over TJ’s bite marks, nodded but didn’t say a word.

An outcry ran over the group and several police officers moved over to take the bound Sean to the local police station in town, a small building with only two cells often used as a drunk tank more than anything.

One of the teenagers close to TJ’s hiding place without realizing it said, “wait, he’s on the wrong side of town to be attacked! We’re nowhere near the old Laufeyson Haunted House!”

A girl turned and gave her friend a glare. “No one in their right mind would go to that old haunted house, Jeffrey, so stop trying to scare us!”

Stepping back, away from the teenagers, TJ had to fight his hunger, his instinct to bite one of those humans - - he was so hungry! Shaking himself, he used the buildings around the town to make it to the jail, trying to see if there was a window or something where he could see Sean.

When he found the window, hidden towards the back of the small building, TJ could see Sean chained in the cell closest to the door. He looked defiant though pale and weak, the bullet holes in his clothing surrounded by blood and bone chips from the gunshots. A trio of men sat in the room just outside the cell discussing what to do with their deranged prisoner. Sean would not be easy to break out of their custody; none of the men looked foolish, drunk, or inattentive.

Looking into the cell, TJ grabbed the bars and yanked on them, hoping that he could break the bars off the window and get Sean out. TJ let out a whistle that sounded like one of the local birds but just slightly the wrong pitch. A call Sean had taught TJ.

Shifting in his bindings, Sean rolled his head to look towards the window. He blinked, looking surprised, then mouthed _‘get away! Idiot, they’ll catch you!’_

The bars started to creak a bit as TJ continued to pull at them. TJ stopped and looked around to see if anyone had seen him but there wasn’t anyone around him. Looking back in the cell, TJ started to pull again. He had to save Sean! He couldn’t just leave Sean there!

Turning at the noise, one of the men frowned, looking for the origin of the strange sound. A second man walked over to Sean and wrapped a rope around the blond’s neck, pulling his head back. Sean bared his teeth and the man jumped back with a yelp. “Fuckin’ got fangs! He’s one of them fuckin’ vampires!”

At that, the other two men turned and all three grabbed objects from a wooden chest nailed up on the wall, resembling an old call box. One man threw liquid on Sean that made him blister, dragging a howl of pain from the trapped prisoner. Another began beating him with a silver bar. The third danced around, a large wooden stake in one hand, a mallet in the other. “Kill the monster!”

At the howl of pain erupted from Sean’s mouth, TJ started to yank harder on the iron cell bars, almost frantically. They were hurting him! They were hurting Sean and it was all his fault. One of the bars started to pull free from the stone with a loud creaking noise.

Staking Sean brutally through the chest and slamming the mallet hard enough for the obscene breaking of bones to fill the air, the man ignored the sound behind him, but the other two instantly turned and brandished their holy weapons. The one with the water screamed, “another foul beast!” and the pair headed towards TJ on the run. Behind them, Sean collapsed and began to desiccate in death.

Staggering back with tear washed bright red eyes, TJ collapsed on his butt, knowing the men were in the jail still and he was outside. He had some time to leave. Scrambling back to his feet, head rushing with fear, TJ took off in the direction of the forest. He tried to listen to hear if anyone followed him.

Apparently several townsfolk were combing the woods and fields, looking for who knew what: victims, perpetrators, lost cows, and TJ was unable to find solace and safety in that direction. He’d have to stay in town until the hunt ended.

Looking back at the town, stopping his run into the woods, TJ swallowed thickly, wondering if the men who’d killed Sean had followed him from town, if he could even go back in that direction.

Before him, on a hill on the other side of the jail, stood a stereotypical abandoned _haunted_ house. It rose three stories and had a large gate and fence all around the perimeter, made of wrought iron, though the gate’s front door had apparently been wrenched off over the years. The vast lawns were untended, overgrown, and even had trash and refuse either thrown in disrespectfully or blown in by uncaring weather. Despite the darkness around the town, and the lights in all buildings except the closed shops, that lone house sported no lights on. Everyone seemed to be on the near side of the police station, none on the far side near that house. The three men from the jail had not yet made it outside of the building.

Glancing in the direction where he could see flashlights in the distance and then back towards the jail, TJ swallowed thickly, knowing he didn’t have long before they followed him. He looked at the old house and knew he didn’t really have much of a choice. He took off in the direction of the lone, large house on the hill. He ran through the overgrowth and towards the front door. Testing the handle, TJ let out a huff of relief when it opened easily enough. He slipped inside and shut the door behind him. He paused, listening for a moment.

No sounds of pursuit came to him and it seemed he’d managed to duck out of sight before the men from the station saw his direction. The house itself, a Victorian mansion looking to have been neglected since the nineteen sixties at least, had broken furniture and graffiti from previous trespassers. A set of dilapidated steps led to a second then third floor and cobwebs decorated the halls, ceilings, steps, doors, and anything spiders had felt like claiming, even temporarily. From down the hall came a chilly breeze, as if a fan or wind blew cold air from the kitchens.

Putting a hand over his abdomen, hunger gnawing deeply, TJ took a step and then stopped when the entire house seemed to creak. He needed to feed but he couldn’t risk going outside at that moment. The entire town seemed to be out looking for him. Wrapping his arms around himself, guilt and pain taking over his youthful appearance, TJ walked deeper into the large, abandoned home. Looking in the direction of the chilly breeze, TJ turned towards it; the cold had stopped bothering him since he’d been changed over a month before.

The breeze seemed to be coming off a set of kitchen steps leading up to the next floor, in better condition than the ones in the front hall. The kitchen seemed just as dilapidated as the rest of the once rich mansion, the remnants of fine furniture and fixings broken or neglected. There seemed to be no living creatures in the house.

Keeping to the shadows, looking down the steps into the kitchen, the tall man with raven curls and serious ice-green eyes watched the intruder silently. He observed the jerky movements, the shuffling walk, the overly pale skin and red eyes - - the signs of hunger. Frowning softly, the man shook his head and adjusted to remain out of sight as he observed.

Looking up the steps, keeping one hand over his abdomen, TJ brought his other hand to the banister, dragging streaks through the thick layer of dust. Walking up the staircase, TJ made it to the top of the second floor before collapsing, sliding down the wall and curling up as tightly as he could. He wanted to feed . . . he needed to feed. His mouth felt dry and his body weak. Maybe in a few hours the townspeople would all return to their homes and TJ could get his meal before the sun came up. He just needed to wait. He could hold off for a few more hours . . . right?

Shuddering, TJ stayed curled up though he let his eyes close to try and fall asleep in hopes of keeping his mind off his all consuming hunger.

After some time, the raven-haired man silently, gracefully walked over to the nearly starved to death man on the floor. He knelt down and carefully touched the brunet’s face, checking his neck for a pulse then slipping his lip back to spy the sharp vampire teeth. Nodding, the man stood and gracefully made his way, seeming to glide, down the steps and into the kitchen. He headed out the back door and found what he sought, gently guiding his prize towards the back door. Once there, he realized he could in no way manage to get the animal through that barrier. Instead, the raven-haired man turned and carefully tied the animal to a banister, using a good deal of strength and energy to do so. He walked back inside and up the steps. Watching his unexpected, uninvited guest for another long moment, the man turned and went to the small library down the hall. He returned with a journal which he placed on the floor by his guest’s hand. Then, the man stepped back into the shadows to wait and watch.

Only a half hour passed before TJ woke with a groan, his body aching with his hunger. When he moved to sit up, TJ’s fingers bumped against something solid. Brows furrowing, TJ looked down and blinked at the sight of a journal. That hadn’t been there before . . . he was sure of it. Picking it up, TJ flipped through the pages out of curiosity.

Only the first page contained writing. The words were written in a flowery script common to the Victorian era; however the entry was odd for a journal from any time. It said _‘Goat on veranda. Puncture the skin and catch the blood in a glass. Only one pint. Then lick the wounds closed and drink your glass. Release goat to field. Tomorrow, change to another animal in the nearby field.’_ There was no explanation on the page as to why someone would have instructions on how to bleed a goat.

Frowning softly, TJ looked around, his bright red eyes searching the empty seeming halls around him. After a moment, TJ pushed to his feet, using the wall to help himself up. Clutching onto the railing as he walked back down the stairs, TJ headed towards the back of the home and blinked in shock at the sight of a goat tied up in plain sight. Licking his lips, stomach releasing a deep growl, TJ took a step towards the defenseless animal. A glimmering glass nearby caught TJ’s eye and he thought it looked to be the size of a pint. Grabbing the glass on his way over to the goat, TJ crouched down in front of the animal, which wore a collar with pet tag identifying it as _Nanny_. He had to fight everything in him not to just latch his teeth into the goat’s neck and suck . . . but the note had said a pint only.

Nicking the skin, TJ let the blood drain into the cup, eyes focusing on the dark liquid as it filled the glass. After he’d got his pint, TJ leaned forward and lapped at the wound, surprised when the wound closed up in seconds. Sean had never taught him that he could heal a wound before! Untying the animal, TJ gently slapped it’s rear end to get it to leave the veranda. Shutting the door behind the goat, TJ quickly grabbed the glass and started to drink, gulping it down fast. A trickle of the still warm liquid ran down the corner of his mouth. TJ licked his lips, panting a bit in desperate hunger that ebbed a bit. TJ leaned back against the door, still holding the glass, coated in a thin film of blood.

“The glass is small enough to lap at the rest,” a calm, serene voice said from the steps, that same cold drifting down from the upstairs.

TJ jumped and clutched the glass closer to his chest, wide red eyes snapping in the direction of the voice. “What the hell? Who - - who are you?”

“My name is Loki and this is my home.” The raven-haired man stepped from the shadows but remained at the top of the steps. “You are frightened, hungry, and alone. You are welcome here if you do not harm me or my possessions.” The man bowed in greeting, his old fashioned Victorian style clothing seeming to fit into the decor of the house. “I will not consider it impolite for you to lick the glass clean, as you are so hungry.”

Swallowing thickly, the small amount of blood still marking the corner of his mouth, TJ looked down at the remaining amount in the glass. He started to lap at it, a deep humming from his chest. He licked the glass completely clean before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, licking at that blood as well. Once he was done, TJ looked back up at the man and said, “thank you? I - - I’ll only stay until they aren’t looking for me anymore . . .” TJ set the glass back down on the counter.

Nodding, Loki said, “as you wish. However, I will warn you that due to a rash of unsolved murders in the neighborhood, they will be hunting for some time. You may be safest here until you learn your survival skills.” The man gracefully came down the steps once more, almost gliding, his feet seeming to fall just shy of the actual step each time, but that could be a trick of the dark and dust. “You are uninjured? I heard shots fired.”

Lowering his eyes, shifting from foot to foot, TJ murmured, “I’m . . . I’m not hurt. I - - I lost my Sire?”

“They used silver or a stake?” Loki asked, sounding concerned and sympathetic. He stopped before his guest, a feeling of cold surrounding him.

“A stake? But - - they shot him first . . . I didn’t think shots could hurt us?” TJ sighed, meeting the strangers eyes.

“The people around here have long fears anything not quite human. They discovered hundreds of years ago that silver could harm us.” Loki crossed past his guest towards the back veranda door and looked out. “You may choose another animal to feed from in three hours. That will help your hunger abate far faster than gorging yourself. A pint at a time, please. I have no wish for the local farmers to lose their stock.”

“Us? Are you - - you’re like me?” TJ asked, hope blooming in his chest. The man didn’t have red eyes but maybe not all vampires had red eyes?

Turning, Loki smiled and said, softly, “I am more like you than them. Do you have a name I may call you, sir?”

“Oh - - uh . . . yes,” TJ nodded, smiling, his sharp fangs glinting in the moonlight, “TJ. TJ Hammond. And you?”

Chuckling softly, Loki said, “as I said, I am Loki. Loki Laufeyson. You might say I am the last remaining of my line.”

“Oh, yeah, I heard this is called the Laufeyson Manor . . .” TJ nodded slowly, standing in his dirtied clothes.

Loki nodded his head once in acknowledgement of the name. “You are welcome to stay for as long as you need, TJ Hammond. If you wish, you can see if there are clothes your size. I would offer you mine, but they are locked in my room and it would be hard to get to them. I had a larger, older brother and a slim older sister, and my father was stout, my mother graceful. I think you will find all the servants’ clothing in the third floor rooms. Perhaps if you mix and match clothing items you may find a workable wardrobe?”

Nodding, TJ looked towards the stairs before heading up them once more, “so . . . you’re all by yourself?” TJ’s foot bumped the journal and he bent down to grab it before walking the second floor once more. He tried the first bedroom and it opened, the door creaking with disuse, the dust piled in this room just as badly as everywhere else. He walked over to the bureau and opened it, seeing men clothes that were just as old as Loki’s. “Man, all these clothes are ancient!”

Following TJ, a wave of cold constantly surrounding Loki, the raven-haired man chuckled and said, “well, this place was deserted around the time . . . around nineteen twenty. Most of the family left and didn’t bother taking everything they owned. Father was the last here and he departed in nineteen sixty-three. Those clothes belonged to my brother Thor. He was ever buying new fashions, year to year. I dare say the attic may be filled with years of his rejects in the search of fashion.”

Dusting off a pair of trousers and a white button down shirt, TJ blinked at all the dust that came off the clothing. “Nineteen twenty? And why haven’t you left?” TJ took off his muddy clothes, revealing a pale, lean body.

“Well, this is my home,” Loki said simply. “I remain tied to the family legacy. Where else would I go? I have no one outside.”

“I mean, there’s a whole world out there, ya know? Ever been to Paris or London or New York even? All very nice . . . don’t gotta stay in this dusty place,” TJ said as he pulled off his black t-shirt, a bite mark very evident against his neck.

Not shy in the least, watching TJ undress, Loki said, “there are certain metaphysical laws which cannot be overcome by anything like desire. I was locked her and forbidden to leave. My father ensured I never would.” With a shrug, Loki said, “and so I have not.”

Blinking, tilting his head a bit, TJ slipped out of his pants, remaining only in his boxer-briefs. Realizing that he didn’t grab underwear, TJ searched the drawers until he found a pair or boxers, just as old as everything else. Shaking them out before slipping out of his own underwear, his tight, perky ass displayed for the other man, TJ asked, looking over his shoulder, “so . . . you can’t leave? Why not?”

“I was locked in here and forbidden to leave,” Loki repeated patiently. “Once my father died, I still could find no way to leave. I am trapped, first by his command, then by his loss. Without the knowledge of how to escape, I cannot. I am limited to being on these lands.” He walked over to the window, boarded up but letting enough moonlight in for a silver glimmer to shine over the mirror and other metal fixtures and fixings in the room. Loki’s pale skin seemed to shimmer and he almost looked transparent for a moment, but the illusion dissipated and Loki went back to looking strong and solid.

“Huh . . .” TJ said as he pulled on the underwear and then the pants, a little too long and a size too big. Using the belt from his old outfit, TJ secured the trousers and then slipped on the button-down shirt. He noted the odd illusion and thought he must be hallucinating. “And you prefer to live in a . . . dusty house?”

Smiling, apparently not offended, Loki said, “to clean would take such a great deal of my limited energy that I have grown used to the dust. I prefer to reserve my energy for important things. However, if you feel like cleaning, let me warn you. Occasionally neighborhood youths come in to try to scare one another. If they observe efforts to clean the place, it might draw curiosity and investigation. I can often scare them off, but I think cleaning would give them too much curiosity to give in to ready fear.”

“So, dust it is,” TJ nodded, glancing around again before looking back at Loki, “why are you so cold? I mean . . . I’m dead, technically, and I’m cold - - at least that’s what Sean told me . . . but . . . you like emit coldness.” TJ looked down and blinked at the sight on the floor. He’d left tracks in the dust on the floorboards but Loki hadn’t.

With another chuckle, Loki corrected, “I do not emit cold, TJ. I pull heat from the very air around me and thus the temperature drops in my proximity. It is a way for me to utilize energy: from ambient temperature, electromagnetic and bio-electric pulses, and other forms of energy.” Turning for the door, Loki called back, “I, too, am dead. I merely do not have a physical form to utilize.”

Hurrying to follow Loki, TJ called after the man, “but, you’re standing right in front of me? I mean . . . you look like you have a body?”

“Yes, I do _look_ like it, do I not?” Loki turned his head and smiled then made his way to a far room, one with a padlocked door and two other heavy locks keeping it closed. “That is my collected energy interacting with any energy projected by those around me, or even from the atmosphere and location. It projects my image. However, unlike some, I do have thought, I can interact. This, TJ, is my room.”

Looking at the locks on the door, TJ frowned softly and said, “you don’t want people going inside?”

“My father placed these locks and I never had access to the key. I still don’t.” Loki sighed.

“Okay . . . so, how are you here when your bedroom door is locked? You sleep somewhere else?” TJ’s brows furrowed in confusion.

Looking TJ in the eyes, Loki said, “I never sleep, TJ. I no longer need sleep. Not since I died.”

“Okay,” TJ drawled, looking at Loki once more, “so what do you do, exactly?”

“Do?” Loki chuckled, “I merely exist until there is someone to interact with. If I have enough energy stored or to siphon, I can interact. You, as a new vampire, have a lot of energy to use. I thank you for sharing.”

“Yeah, man, whatever you need,” TJ waved dismissively, still trying to figure everything out, “you . . . so I help you take this form? What are you, then? I mean . . . I’m a vampire - - you’re not right?”

“I am not a vampire,” Loki agreed. “I am not alive.” Loki let his hand slip through his door then pulled it back out, showing an unblemished hand to TJ. “I am made of energy and thought and personality. Too many terms and definitions float about, TJ. But I suppose you may call me _the spirit_ of Loki Laufeyson. My body lies in that room.”

“You’re . . . you’re a ghost?” TJ balked, blinking wide bright red eyes. A month ago he didn’t believe that vampires were real . . . he didn’t know why he was so shocked that ghosts were real, too.

“If you prefer that term,” Loki bowed once.

“Wow . . . can - - can you do ghosty things? Like I don’t know . . . move things and stuff? Can you cross over salt?” TJ asked, wanting to learn more. He’d only had Sean to talk to over the last month and Sean hadn’t liked to do much talking. 

Loki faded again briefly then strengthened once more. “I can move things but it takes a great deal of energy. It’s easier not to be visible when I do so. And no one has ever laid down salt for me to attempt to cross. I have always considered that wasteful and never tried it myself. Salt was not very inexpensive when I was alive, and we used it to preserve food, so it was a necessity.”

“Do you got salt in the kitchen now?” TJ asked, rocking on his heels in excitement.

“I believe there is salt in the kitchen cupboard, yes,” Loki sounded curious, watching TJ with bright green eyes.

Grinning, the smile looking almost vicious with the sharp fangs, TJ said, “c’mon! Let’s go try it! Neither of us gotta preserve things so, why not, right?”

“Well, if it works, TJ, I have handed you a very valuable weapon against me. I could be sealed permanently in my room,” Loki said though he continued to follow TJ.

“I wouldn’t do that to you. You saved my ass. I’d be dead if it wasn’t for you,” TJ walked towards the stairs again and hurried down the stairs again. “It’s more to prove this show that my brother used to watch wrong. I always kinda thought it was a dumb thing, ya know? Like why would salt stop a ghost?”

“Well, I know people in my era would use it to ward off demons and evil, unholiness, as salt is pure and purity can ward off impure. Also, if spilled, it was a bad omen and meant you were being followed by evil, so you threw a pinch over your shoulder to distract the evil. Whatever was following would have to stop and count every grain.” They made it to the kitchen and Loki lifted a slightly transparent hand to point to the spice cabinet. Apparently, being corporal so long for TJ had worn into Loki’s energy reserves.

“Huh, so that’s where that comes from?” TJ nodded and headed for the cabinet Loki had pointed out. “Man, I never knew that.” TJ smiled at Loki before sifting through the cupboard and all the old, dusty spices, all natural, not dried or store bought, the spices were ground and put in homemade jars and bottles. He found the salt, brandishing the burlap bag with a grin, “ah! Here it is!”

Loki nodded. “Okay, so how do we want to perform this experiment?” He looked around the kitchen for a spot to try the salt theory out.

“How about I pour a little line in front of you and see if you can step over it or whatever?” TJ suggested.

“As long as it’s not somewhere I would normally wish to walk?” Loki countered.

“I can sweep it up right away, but, yeah, okay, you pick the place,” TJ nodded.

Looking around, Loki nodded and said, “how about on the veranda? I have no reason to use the entire thing? We can find a spot in a corner out there?”

“Okay, we still got a few hours before sunrise,” TJ nodded and headed in the direction, walking outside and waiting for Loki to pick where he wanted to perform the experiment.

Once outside in the fresh air, the sounds of goats, cows, sheep, and even horses could be heard from the surrounding fields. A large stables sat further up the hill but a small animal shed sat close to hand, most likely where Loki had found the goat if he couldn’t leave the property. He walked over to a corner facing a wall on two sides and stepped back, against the wall. “Okay, I’m ready. You will promise to release me if this holds me back?” Loki met TJ’s eyes, worry in his.

“Can you hold onto objects or no?” TJ asked, not pouring the salt yet.

“I can if I have enough energy,” Loki responding, smiling in amusement at the repeated questions asking similar information he’d already given. TJ was a truly beautiful man but was not too bright, as far as Loki could tell. No matter, the man was a companion and meant well, so Loki could easily accept his quirks.

Pulling off a set of dog tags off his neck, TJ handed them over to Loki, “here, call it insurance?”

Blinking, Loki took the chain carefully and said, “your word is good enough for me, TJ. I do not need your personal items as collateral.”

“Well, I’m givin’ it to you as insurance so you know I’ll keep my word. Those are my brother’s, he gave them to me before . . .” TJ waved in the air aimlessly instead of explaining what had happened to him. “I don’t go anywhere without them, so, you know I plan on keepin’ my word. Okay? Ready?”

“Yes, I am ready, TJ.” Loki backed up even further against the well, partly passing through it. He seemed unaware of the fact that he’d revealed an escape route, though, as he watched TJ. The raven-haired man took in every nuance of the pretty brunet, finding himself more enraptured by the other man than he should be; after all, it had been his interest in other men which had forced his father to lock him away from society.

“Cool,” TJ smiled and poured a solid line of salt right in front of Loki, “okay, go ahead and try!”

It seemed like Loki took a breath, even if he didn’t need to breathe. He nodded once and stepped out and over the salt. Blinking, Loki brought his other foot over and smiled widely. “I can cross salt. I’m not as evil as my father always said!” The statement revealed how worried he really had been about the salt, despite being able to go through the wall behind him.

“Well, would ya look at that?” TJ smiled up at Loki, the other man being a little taller than him. “You’re a good guy, Loki, most people or . . . beings or whatever woulda probably just let me starve.”

With a sigh, Loki shook his head. “I try not to hurt anyone, TJ. Even those people who want to come in and destroy my home, I only scare them off. I don’t try to hurt them. They’re stupid children.” As TJ raised his foot to sweep away the salt, Loki stopped him with a hand on the arm. “Leave it. Unwanted visitors might wonder what evil is trapped in that corner. Might make them concentrate on that spot instead of inside?” Loki smiled at TJ, seemed to flush a bit, and pulled his hand back off the other man’s arm.

“Mischievous, huh?” TJ smiled at Loki, moving to step back into the home, leaving the line of salt undisturbed. “So, how can I give you more energy . . . is there a way?”

“As you gain strength and are less hungry, I will be able to siphon more energy off you without making you too weak to defend yourself. It seems we are compatible, since your energy feeds me without trouble.” Loki followed TJ, slipping in through the door before it could be closed. “If you want, I can try to research more on how to help your condition? I wasn’t sure if you’d be . . . amenable to talking so used the journal to communicate earlier.”

“Help my . . . condition?” TJ tilted his head slightly, watching Loki, “what do you mean?”

“Vampirism,” Loki looked at TJ. “You have a disease that will never be cured. If you don’t eat regularly, you will go insane, literally, and eat anything and everything, even beyond quenching your hunger. All those legend of nasty killer vampires? Those were vampires who went into hunger frenzy.” Loki gestured towards the steps. “I have a small library upstairs with much of the research I was able to record over the years. Some came through the efforts of my family or their friends. Some from my listening to those who broke into my home over the years. I’ve had many years to sort out rumor from facts.”

“And . . . you’ve been alone for a hundred years?” TJ asked, looking up the steps and then over at Loki once more, sympathy in his gaze.

“Yes, TJ. I died in nineteen twenty shortly after being locked up. I was never visited and, over the years, no one even tried to communicate with me. It took a long time to learn to channel my energy.” Loki moved to the window to overlook the back fields. “Animals always wander onto the lands, so you should have plenty of food. A pint per animal, and rotate so no animal is fed on more than once a week, even longer if possible, should be fine.” Loki turned to smile at TJ. “You are probably still hungry and the three hours are over. Would you like to go find another animal? The larger the better. Do not feed off dogs or cats. They’re too tiny to lose much blood.”

“Will you still be here when I get back from feeding?” TJ asked, looking up at Loki and then out at the fields, his stomach rumbling.

Loki nodded, smiling at TJ. “If you are on the land, I can go with you. If you cross off my land, I will have to stop at the fence. But I will be here, even if I don’t have enough energy to manifest. I can go nowhere else.”

“But,” TJ gestured to Loki’s hand, which had gotten more and more translucent, “you keep fading . . .”

Loki lifted his faded hand and said, “that’s because I need more energy. You feed, and I will get energy, because I will have you to get it from. Think of it as _me_ feeding from _you_.”

“So, the hunter becomes the hunted, huh?” TJ grinned at Loki before stepping back out of the home to go get his next meal.

“Don’t forget a glass, TJ. Only a pint. If you feed directly, you could lose track.” Loki followed TJ, eyes intelligent and bright, despite his fading appearance.

“Right,” TJ nodded, grabbing the glass and hurrying back outside. Looking up, TJ could see the clouds beginning to cover the stars. He could smell the rain in the air and then looked over at Loki, “a storm’s moving in.” He started moving towards a cow that had wandered onto the property through a damaged fence near the driveway.

Following right behind, Loki looked up and nodded, glancing back at TJ. “It should help cover your tracks to my home, TJ. You said that your sire was murdered? In town or on the road?”

Shuddering, TJ stopped in his tracks and nodded, hearing that bone shattering noise over and over again, picturing that stake into Sean’s chest. “In - - in town . . .” he murmured.

“Your sire, unfortunately, picked the wrong town to come to, TJ,” Loki said, softly. “The people here are firm believers in psychics and the supernatural. They know how to destroy various night creatures.”

“Yeah . . . figured that,” TJ nodded, offering Loki a forced smile, “Sean could be an asshole but he was all I had, ya know? Can’t exactly go home . . .” TJ reached to touch his neck and then realized the dog tags he wore were still in Loki’s possession.

Noting the gesture, Loki held out his hand. “Would you like your brother’s service tags, TJ?”

Smiling, TJ reached out and took the tags, Loki’s hand ice cold, and slipped them over his head, settling them back in place, tucking them under his shirt. “He was a Army Ranger, ya know? Real big shot. He was - - is a good guy. The best outta the bunch.”

“Did he die, or can you not visit because _you_ did?” Loki asked, guiding TJ closer to the unsuspecting cow. “Never come from the front. They are very jumpy critters and can’t see well. Approach from the side.”

“He - - I can’t visit him like this . . . no way,” TJ shook his head, looking at the cow and then up at Loki, “what if I hurt him? Or his husband?”

Loki stopped and looked shocked, “H - - husband? A man _married_ to another man?”

Looking up at Loki with a confused look, TJ nodded, “yeah? It’s legal now, ya know? Has been for years.”

“Legal now?” Loki seemed to fade a bit and struggle to come back. “It’s . . . the _law_ lets men marry one another?” He couldn’t comprehend such a change in social order as to allow men to love, legally.

“Yup,” TJ nodded, still watching Loki, “that’s okay, right? I mean . . . you’re not . . .”

Loki blinked and turned to look at TJ, looking stunned and confused, “am I? Am I what?” he asked faintly.

“Homophobic? I mean . . . I know that you were born in a time that it wasn’t exactly good so . . .” TJ shrugged his shoulders.

“I . . . in my time, it was illegal and punishable by imprisonment or death, TJ. But . . . I did not agree with such severe actions?” Loki gestured to the cow with an obviously trembling hand. “Your dinner is walking away.”

Watching Loki for a few moments, TJ finally nodded and he turned away, following the cow. He performed the same actions that he had before with the goat, though this time he lapped at the cow’s fresh wound a bit longer, feeling so hungry and the blood on his tongue felt so good . . . he needed more than a pint.

“TJ,” Loki spoke quite sharply. “Heal the cow!”

Loki’s voice snapped him out of his haze and TJ pulled back, unknowingly having sunk his fangs into the animal’s neck. Trembling a bit, TJ lapped at the wound, sealing it up. He sat back, holding the glass full of blood.

"Now, drink your cup," Loki ordered, sounding stern.

TJ brought the cup to his lips and drank the warm liquid, once the cup was empty he lapped at remaining film all around the glass. “I - - I need more . . . I . . . not enough . . .” he breathed out.

“TJ,” Loki barked out sharply. “Look at me!”

Bright red eyes flickering up to meet Loki’s eyes, TJ whimpered softly.

“How long has it been since your sire last fed you?” Loki asked, voice still firm.

Licking his lips, looking longingly after the cow, TJ knew he could drink more. The cow was big and strong . . . TJ could take a few more drinks without hurting it . . . he needed more. Getting into a crouch, TJ started to move towards the animal.

“TJ, if you touch that cow again I will destroy your brother's tags!” Loki stated, voice firm and cold sounding. “Look at me and answer. When did your Sire last feed you!”

“Don’t - - don’t have my brother’s tags,” TJ murmured, his lips stained red.

Loki sighed and lifted a hand, the tags starting to pull from TJ’s person. “Don’t force me . . .” Loki warned.

“Please . . . you don’t understand - - I’m _so hungry_ ,” TJ begged.

Stepping over to TJ, Loki said, “I understand completely. Do you know how tempting it is to take all of your energy for myself so I can manifest completely? Now, answer me. How long since your Sire fed you? The answer informs me of how much I can let you feed.”

“It - - it’s just one cow . . . it’s just . . . they won’t miss it, right?” TJ asked, licking his lips again.

“They will miss it because that beast is worth thousands of dollars, TJ!” Loki shook his head. “Either you answer me or I make sure you only feed every three hours in a night, not day. If I get an honest answer, I might be able to allow more. I can show you where other animals are on the property.”

Swallowing thickly, TJ looked up at Loki and answered, “I was supposed to feed everyday . . . we fed last night - - we . . . it’s never enough. Please, please, Loki . . . I’m so hungry.”

“And you only turned a month ago?” Loki asked, watching TJ carefully.

“Sean - - Sean . . . yeah, he turned me a month ago,” TJ whimpered softly.

“Come, follow me.” Loki turned and headed towards a stand of trees on the property line. “I will show you where you can feed, but you must obey my strictures on limits. Only a pint per animal. And only six more animals. Eight pints is enough for one night at your age.”

Pushing to his feet, TJ hurried after Loki, “thank you, thank you so much, Loki.”

Nodding, Loki said, “you are young and need strength. But know that I will monitor your eating every night and ween you to a proper pint an hour. For now, I will grant you the eight pints, of which you had two.” The raven-haired man gestured to TJ to stop walking. “See that herd of deer? If you are quiet and careful, you can move among them and feed, one at a time. A pint each. Use your cup. If you break this rule, I will spook them so they flee.”

“One pint,” TJ nodded, licking his lips again, running his tongue over his fangs and looking at Loki once more. “Six more, right?”

“Yes, TJ, you may feed on six more pints. The time it takes to fill your glass is enough to keep you from going into a frenzy from overfeeding.” Loki offered a gentler smile. “If you move too loudly or too quickly, they will spook and run. And if you fail to heal each one, the smell of blood will frighten them, as well.”

“Thank you!” TJ said again before moving gracefully towards the herd of deer.

It took almost two hours before TJ had finished feeding and by that time the sun was beginning to rise above the horizon. Wiping his mouth as he came back to Loki, TJ said, “gotta . . . gotta get inside.”

“Yes, go ahead, TJ. Run ahead and get inside. Pick a room and make sure the curtains shield the windows of the room you choose. Hela, my sister, had thick curtains. I will follow.” Loki gestured towards the manor house in the distance. “Sunlight doesn’t hurt me, so run fast.”

TJ bolted into the home before the harmful rays could burn his skin. He hurried up the stairs once he’d made it into the kitchen, swinging around the banister, before running up the stairs. He quickly found the room that must have been Hela’s if the thick curtains were anything to go by. Just as the sun started to pour into the bedroom, TJ pulled the curtains closed, tying them shut. Shuffling over to the bed, TJ didn’t even bother dusting it off before collapsing on top of it, passing out within a few moments, fully satisfied for the first time in a month.

**************

Bouncing a ball, one that must have been left by one the many kids Loki said visited the home, against a wall as he lay on the floor while Loki read at the large desk, TJ asked, “ever think about moving on? Isn’t that something ghosts need to do?” TJ had been staying with Loki for a week and he found the ghost very good company . . . better than Sean anyways.

“I never really considered moving to another existence. I always liked this world, TJ.” Loki looked up from his research, more information about vampire needs and habits. He’d learned a lot over the past week. “Did you want me to try to move on?”

“No, but all the movies and stuff talk about spirits moving on and stuff . . .” TJ continued to bounce the ball against the wall, catching it with ease before repeating the process over and over again.

“There are moving pictures about spirits moving on?” Loki sounded surprised,a s he often did by anything modern TJ revealed.

Snorting, TJ nodded and said, turning around so he faced Loki, “yeah, they always say the spirits can’t move on because they have unfinished business . . . do you have unfinished business, Loki?”

“I supposed I must or I would have sought the other world sooner?” Loki sighed and shook his head, looking back at his book. “Perhaps I don’t like how I died? Or how my father triumphed over me? Perhaps I don’t want to abandon my home. I am the last Laufeyson. Perhaps I am afraid to leave where I am familiar.” Loki looked up again and smiled slightly, “or perhaps I have met a friend I wish to help before he gets himself killed.”

Pushing to his feet, TJ grinned and said, “hey, I’ll have you know that I am a great vampire. With great hunting skills. I’m, like, the best vampire out there.” He leaned over the desk to try and read the book Loki looked at, though he found it to be written in a foreign language. “So, you say you want to help me. How are books written in gibberish gonna help me?”

Snickering, recognizing yet again, as he had so often that week, that TJ was not the most intellectual specimen, Loki said, “this is written in Latin, one of the oldest languages in the world. It also contains a wealth of information about vampires, though mainly about frenzied ones, I admit.” Loki looked up at the attractive brunet. “Do you read anything but English?”

“Nah,” TJ shook his head, “my brother though? God, he loves languages! Speaks like twenty of them or something,” TJ shook his head with another smile, “I’ll tell you, Bucky is the smartest guy ever.”

“Bucky and TJ,” Loki chuckled. “Such _American_ names.” He looked down at the book and sighed, closing it. “Well, this one is basically useless. It claims Vampires are soul sucking demons from hell. I think the writer confused vampires with Incubi and Succubi.”

“You and I get such bad raps, huh? A ghost and a vampire,” TJ chuckled, shaking his head, “sounds like a beginning of a joke.”

“A ghost and a vampire walk out onto a back porch and come across a line of salt . . .” Loki whimsically said as he rose to his feet and moved to return his book and fetch another.

“That one written in gibberish, too?” TJ asked, gesturing to the book in Loki’s hand.

“No, this one is written in Arabic. I have to translate it,” Loki glanced through the book, sighed, and put it back, since he had no way to translate the book. “I do know desert vampires can create whirlwinds and sandstorms, but that’s about my knowledge limit of them.”

Collapsing into the chair across from the desk, long legs kicking over the arm of the plush, old furniture, TJ sighed, “why can’t I create sandstorms and shit? I can’t do anything!” TJ let out a dramatic huff.

“I thought you are _‘a great vampire. With great hunting skills. I’m, like, the best vampire out there.’_ Or did I mishear?” Loki teased, smiling down at TJ.

“Oh, I am . . . I just can’t create sandstorms,” TJ grinned up at Loki, fangs glinting in the moonlight.

“Asian vampires can turn invisible and fly. Can you do that?” Loki asked, smiling in amusement as he knew that TJ would pout even more.

Jutting out his bottom lip in a pout, TJ crossed his arms over his chest, “no. Can American vampires do anything?”

“Uh . . . be seen in mirrors? Not run from garlic?” Loki said, still teasing. “Pretty much immune from religious objects except holy water?”

“So, we’re just the lamest vampires out there, huh?” TJ let out a long suffering sigh, “I want cool, super human vampire powers!”

Loki nodded, “well, there were native vampires, among the indigenous peoples of the Americas? But they were all animals that had vampiric qualities, such as the Chupacabra. Then there’s the cannibalistic feeding frenzy machine, the Wendigo. Basically, Americans inherited their vampirism from Europe, mainly. So, overcoming the inability to cross running water, and having the ability to move so fast humans think they disappear? American vampires don’t have any specialized skills. But they seem more immune to other vampire weaknesses. They cannot touch holy water or sunlight, they cannot deal with silver, and they do have trouble with being staked, but other than that? Pretty much invulnerable to other old world problems vampires used to have?” Loki grinned.”

“So, I’m like fucking _Bella_?” TJ groaned, letting his head hang back in a show of misery.

“No, more like . . . Louis? At least you don’t _sparkle_.” The raven-haired spirit turned fully, watching his guest.

Quirking a brow at Loki, TJ asked, “and, how did you not know that there were movies about ghosts yet you caught my _Twilight_ reference and shot back with an _Interview with a Vampire_ reference?”

Snorting, Loki gestured to the covered window, “remember? Kids come in here sometimes. While they try to brave the haunted house for the night, I hear their references to werewolves and vampires. They don’t mention _ghost_ movies except on something called _Reddit_.”

Rolling his eyes, TJ pushed up from the chair and nodded, “well, it’s mainly stories on _Reddit_ , but I guess some blogs talk about movies and stuff.” TJ rolled his shoulders and then frowned a bit, listening for a moment, “people are walking up to the house,” he hissed softly.

Frowning, Loki nodded and put his book back. He turned to the inner wall and opened it. “Get inside the priest hole. You’ll be safe in there. I’ll get rid of them.”

Licking his lips, TJ looked towards the noises of the front door, the footsteps on the porch.

“TJ,” Loki lowered his voice in firm warning. “You are _never_ to feed from humans unless they volunteer! Now, hide yourself! Do you want to be like your Sean?”

“But . . .” TJ sniffed the air, hearing the doorknob jiggle, followed by the teens giggling and screaming.

“But what?” Loki hissed, narrowing his eyes.

“I could get rid of them, Loki . . .” TJ countered.

“And have them bring others back hunting you?” Loki shook his head. “I can get rid of them easily. I have done for years. Only stupid thrill seeking children come here right now. Get in the closet and we’ll feed you after they leave. Otherwise, no food tonight.” Loki gave TJ a hard stare.

TJ practically hissed at Loki but turned and climbed into the hiding spot.

Nodding, Loki headed from the room, letting himself fade from view. He watched the teens as they managed to get the door open which he’d had TJ lock the night after he’d arrived. The foursome, two males and two females, walked in with flashlights, looking nervous and excited, whispering and letting little shrieks or nervous laughs out at every turn. Loki rolled his eyes and headed down the steps carefully until he got to the hallway, where he pulled a girl’s hair, hard, to give her the fright of her life. He’d found that the more scared the females got, the more macho protective the males, and often the males would say they’d leave to protect the girls, when really they, too, were frightened.

“What the hell was that?” The girl shrieked, putting her hand over her hair to protect anymore strands from being pulled. “I swear something just yanked my hair!”

“Don’t be stupid, Jenny!” the other girl rolled her eyes, using the flashlight to look around the foyer.

“Maybe you got your hair caught on something?” Jenny’s boyfriend offered. He whirled and shone his flashlight on the steps, frowning but not drawing attention to what he might have scene.

Nodding to himself, realizing the girl was the tough one, Loki smiled and caressed the back of Jenny’s neck, like a lover might. He blew in her ear, a cold touch.

“Oh, my God!” Jenny yelped, “Jake, something just touched me, I swear!” She jumped from the spot she’d been in.

Jake, her boyfriend, turned and frowned but his friend, Jeremy, just grinned and said, “a _gho - - o - - ost_ , Jenny! Beware! You’re going to get it!”

Sudden slamming came from the upstairs, followed by the most horrific screech any of the teens had ever heard.

Loki frowned, wanting to smack TJ. He didn’t understand that the children had to think they might not have seen or felt things, would doubt themselves. Such obvious noises would draw attention. Loki quickly made himself appear and walked, glassy eyed, right past the kids towards the kitchen.

Jake screamed, shining his light over where he’d seen Loki, who’d disappeared right into a wall. “What the fuck!”

The other girl, Samantha, squealed and shook her head, heading back towards the front door, “we need to get out of here!” She wrenched open the door and took off running, Jenny right on her heels. 

Jake tugged Jeremy after them, the four teenagers running as fast as they could, a wet stain spreading on Jeremy’s jeans as he ran.

Once the teens had made it through the broken front gate, Loki whirled and stormed to the base of the steps. “TJ Hammond, you get your damn ass down here right now!”

Appearing after only a few moments, TJ grinned at Loki, “did they leave?”

“No thanks to you! My God, I warned you to stay quiet. Did you know they nearly went up looking for you? I had to manifest to distract them!” Loki was utterly livid and terrified. He didn’t want those kids going and getting all brave in the next couple of weeks and bringing thrill seeking friends up to see _the ghost_.

“Oh, c’mon, I dare them to come up looking for me!” TJ walked down a few steps, still grinning. “That was scary! Right?”

When the vampire reached him, Loki used a great deal of energy to slap him hard across the back of the head. “How dare you disobey me! I keep you fed and safe and you _defy_ me to have a _laugh_?”

“Hey! Ow!” TJ rubbed the back of his head with a frown, glaring at Loki, “what the hell was that for? I was helping you!”

“TJ, you do not think!” Loki growled. “If they hear such loud, obvious noises, ones they are _sure_ they heard, in two days they will have enough courage back to come again and with more friends. By being subtle, making them scared but doubt they felt or saw or heard anything, they won’t come back for a few weeks, once they are bored again. But if the wrong people hear that those children heard banging and screams? _Adults_ will come investigate! You were stupidly terrifying enough to endanger yourself!”

“Let them come then,” TJ growled, red eyes flashing with anger, his teasing attitude long gone, “we can take them all on! You and me!”

Bowing his head, fading to almost transparent, Loki sighed and shook his head. Softly, calmly, he said, “yes, we can, but that would force you to flee. Recall, these are vampire killers not city folk. You would have to move on and try to find another safe haven.”

“So, you just want me to hide in a little closet, like a good little pet?” TJ snarled, fangs glinting.

Loki met TJ’s eyes and said, very softly, faintly, “I want you _safe_. You’re my friend.” Loki faded, energy used up for the time being.

Growling, TJ turned and stormed up the stairs, going into the room he’d been occupying for the last week, Loki’s older sister’s room, and went inside, slamming the door. He climbed up onto the bed and curled up, holding a pillow close to his chest. Loki didn’t understand. Loki just expected him to listen and fall in line. TJ wasn’t just some . . . some pet to order around. Out of defiance of his housemate, TJ didn’t even go feed, letting his hunger build up.

In his own room, where he inevitably returned when he ran out of energy, Loki remained a hovering shapeless form of energy only, unable to even communicate with rappings.

Within two hours of that first visit, the sound of returning footsteps came to the pair in their different rooms. This time it sounded like two teenagers, niether of whom giggled or shrieked. Instead, they conversed in soft, worried voices, the one, Jake, revealing what had happened to Jenny then what he had seen.

TJ didn’t do anything, expecting Loki to take care of it like before, not wanting to be yelled at again.

For fifteen minutes, the pair explored the bottom floor rooms, still whispering nervously to one another. Finally, Jake’s voice said, “well the scream and bang came from upstairs.”

His companion sounded like another male as he answered, “then we go up there.”

Doubt creeping into his voice, Jake said, “we can do this during the day, Dylan.”

TJ narrowed his eyes a bit, carefully getting off the bed, unknowingly causing soft creaks to sound downstairs.

Dylan responded, “nah, if it’s some hobo tramp, we’re gonna teach him to scare the girls! C’mon, Jake.” And the teen started up the steps, flashlight steady, no fear in his mannerisms. The creaking seemed to have firmed his nerves. Jake followed his friend up to the second floor, being very careful on the dilapidated steps in the front hall, neither teen actually using the ones in the kitchen which were much safer but more dusty and cobwebbed, despite TJ’s movements the first night.

No sight or sound of Loki came to TJ, as if the ghost wasn’t going to scare the pair off this time, maybe would even let them catch his recalcitrant guest.

TJ slunk over, pressing his body up against the wall right beside the door. He waited, keeping quiet as he heard footsteps coming closer and closer.

A very soft, slow click came from the door lock of the room which had been easily opened by TJ. Then the teens stopped at the next room over, Thor’s, and explored the room. They moved to Hela’s room and the doorknob rattled but apparently the door had locked. After a long moment, the boys moved on down the hall until they got to Loki’s room, which seemed to stop them dead. “Uh, Dylan, why is that door locked on the _outside_? What the hell were they keeping locked in there?”

“Uh . . . not sure,” Dylan’s voice sounded worried once more, his bravado seeping away at the sight of the triple locks on the old door.

“Maybe . . . maybe we should go now? Do this during the day?” Jake whimpered.

“Yeah . . .” Dylan drawled. The boys headed back down the hall towards the front stairway.

TJ waited a few moments before he slowly unlocked and opened the door. Crouching down, TJ reached for the long rug that ran the length of the hall, the one that the boys currently walked on. He gripped the rug and tugged hard, pulling the rug out from under the boys before slipping back into the room once more.

With a scream, both boys hit the floor, one losing his flashlight which rolled a bit until it landed, rocking, lighting up the bunched carpet in front of TJ’s door. Dylan got up and grabbed Jake by the collar, hard, and pulled him all the way down the steps without a word, the boys running as fast as their bruised bodies would go.

Loki didn’t seem to respond to that, either, not making a noise or showing himself at all. He was, once more, stuck without energy in his room and would be there for some time, exhausted and incorporeal.

**************

For the next few days, TJ went about his day - - or night - - in a blur. He fed off the animals around the farm, not taking more than a pint from each. When he wasn’t feeding, he tried to read from Loki’s library but couldn’t really stay concentrating on anything. Loki never come around at all. He decided to wander around the large home, seeing Loki’s locked bedroom door but not coming too close to it. Eventually he found a large room with a dusty piano in good condition which he tuned and started to play, beautifully, masterfully.

After a full week, on a night with no moon, while playing the piano, TJ became aware of a great amount of cold in the air, coming into the room. At first, Loki wasn’t visible, but as the cold got closer, he began to materialize until he stood, shimmering and semi-transparent, beside the piano bench. His voice sounded faded and soft as he said, “you play very well.”

Jerking back, hitting the keys rather forcefully, TJ clutched his chest and cursed, “fuck . . . don’t know why that scared me . . . ‘cause I felt you . . . but . . .” TJ shrugged one shoulder.

“You handled the rug very well, too, TJ. Good job. They never saw you. They must’ve thought they’d tripped.” Loki watched TJ, his expression sad.

Shrugging again, TJ started to play, a very complicated, soothing tune, “just thought I’d do what you told me. That way I don’t get slapped again. And you weren’t showing up . . . probably were hoping they’d stake the idiot, huh?”

Sighing, Loki said, “is that what you thought? I was trying to protect you. Used up all of my energy just to lock that door. I’ve been trying to gather enough to appear to you again, TJ.” Loki stayed standing, not approaching or touching TJ, looking like he wasn’t certain if he was even welcome near the pretty vampire. “I shouldn’t have hit you, but I was terrified they’d find you while you slept and I would be too weak to do anything.”

“It’s okay, used to it,” TJ murmured softly.

Nodding, Loki said, “me, too. I thought I was never going to turn to violence like my father, but I did anyway. I guess I really am a bad person.” He began to glide step away from TJ and the piano, towards the door.

“You stepped over the salt,” TJ said, still playing the song he played.

Looking at TJ, Loki frowned, “what do you mean?”

“You’re still pure. You crossed the doorway,” TJ stopped playing, turning on the bench to gesture to the salt laid in a line across the door-line.

Glancing over to the door, seeing the salt line, Loki softly asked, “why is there salt across the doorway, TJ?”

“Figured you’d pop up sooner or later and be worrying about your soul or whatever, so,” TJ waggled his fingers in that direction with a shrug.

“You’ve stayed instead of moving on. I’m glad you still feel welcome despite my violence.” Loki moved back over towards TJ, restlessly float-stepping.

Rolling his eyes, TJ said, “if you think that’s violence then you’ve clearly never met my father. I just - - I thought you’d finally had enough of me so . . . you left? I was hoping you’d come back . . .”

“I was trapped in my room until I could gather energy enough to come back out.” Loki sighed. “I gather so much quicker near you.” He stopped by TJ’s side once more and asked, “have you fed tonight?”

“Once,” TJ nodded, wringing his fingers in his lap, “you can keep . . . feeding or whatever. I’m good.”

“Actually,” Loki said, “I was going to go out with you while you fed. I miss the air outside every time I’m stuck inside.”

“Alright,” TJ nodded, standing up and heading towards the door. “We haven’t had anymore visitors . . . so . . . that’s good?” The teasing that Loki had grown accustomed to over that first week was long gone.

“Yes, very good,” Loki said, softly, also sounding serious and far from teasing. It was as if the pair were strangers once more, forced to exist together. “Hopefully they figure a hobo had been in the place and left.” The raven-haired man, still semi-transparent, headed for the kitchen and the veranda.

TJ walked outside, looking up at the moonless night sky and then over at the line of salt still in the corner, letting out a sigh. He shook his head and then stepped off the porch steps and towards a cow that had come into the property. Looking at Loki, TJ gave him a small smile before stepping away.

Loki returned the smile, looking relieved at the friendly expression. “Did you remember your glass, my friend?” he asked softly.

“Don’t need it,” TJ said, walking up to the cow, stroking the animal’s fur carefully.

“You no longer feel a need to frenzy?” Loki asked, watching but not interfering.

“I don’t think so?” TJ could feel the cow’s blood pulsing under his fingertips and he breathed in, smelling the fresh meal he was about to have.

“You fed once, but was it enough? This won’t drive you over?” Loki asked, sounding concerned that his suggestion to feed might hurt TJ.

“So, my idiocy ruined all your trust in me?” TJ asked, glancing over at Loki, red eyes shining in the night air, the clouds in the sky beginning to release a light sprinkle of rain.

“Not exactly, TJ. I was still in the process of guiding you when I was confined to my room once more. I do not know how much control you might have now. Nor do I know if your kindness to let me feed would send you into something which might harm you.” Loki strode over to TJ and reached out to touch his arm, barely a touch of coldness.

TJ carefully leaned in closer to the animal’s neck and then bit down, sinking his fangs into the cow’s skin and beginning to feed off of it. After only a few moments, TJ pulled back, chin coated in blood. TJ’s eyes were closed and he licked his lips before starting to lap at the wounds to close them up.

Smiling, looking proud and pleased, Loki said, “you have such control now, TJ. You have grown so much.”

Looking at Loki, TJ offered another small smile and said, “I’ve been trying. I - - I didn’t want to fuck this up, too. I . . . I never meant to.”

“You never meant to endanger yourself last week, I know, TJ. And when you moved the rug, it fooled them and scared them at the same time. Things like that work very well.” Loki touched TJ again. “You realize, my friend, that I am not in danger. You are. I did what I did to protect you.”

“I know,” TJ nodded, his brunet curls falling into his eyes from the rain, his clothing plastering to his skin, “I know. I’m an idiot. I . . . I’ve never been smart. I’m an idiot. I know.”

Smiling softly, Loki said, “not an idiot exactly. You have an ability to get beyond idiocy if you try hard. Look at you feeding without a cup but not endangering the animals or yourself.” Loki gestured towards the cow which ate calmly. “That is not the action of an idiot.”

“I guess,” TJ shrugged, stepping away from Loki to head back towards the house, not heading towards any other animals to feed off of.

With a sigh, Loki said softly, “I wish you were my idiot. I’d love you until you had your confidence back.” He began following after the vampire, back towards the manor house.

Turning back to Loki once they stepped inside, dripping wet onto the dusty floorboards, TJ said, “how can I help you, Loki? I mean . . . I can’t read Latin or Arabic or anything . . . but . . .” TJ shrugged again, running his fingers through his brunet curls.

“Do I need help?” Loki tilted his head, sad green eyes on the pale-skinned vampire. “I thought I was helping you to be able to be a vampire and keep yourself hidden and safe?”

Nodding, worrying at his plush bottom lip, TJ sighed and said, “right, right . . . stupid-head over here.” TJ gestured to his head with a flick of his fingers before leaning against the counter, wiping the dust off that surface as well.

Loki concentrated hard, the air growing much colder as he drew energy from the air and TJ. Finally, he pulled TJ by the shirt and kissed him on the lips. “Not stupid.” Loki lost his grip, going almost completely transparent.

TJ made a soft squeak against Loki’s lips, blinking wide, surprised eyes, staggering a bit, “you . . . you kissed me.”

Flushing, Loki backed up and said, very faintly, “I . . . I will withhold my . . . I will . . . I . . .” he seemed almost fearful, as if afraid TJ would scream or run or hit him or accuse him of being a freak of nature and demand him to never come near again.

“Take more from me, please?” TJ asked, taking a step closer to Loki, “take more from me . . . don’t - - don’t fade?”

Loki concentrated and a cold rush swirled over TJ and through him, Loki solidifying once more. Despite the cold, TJ never felt like his energy had been tapped at all.

Surging forward, TJ crashed his lips against Loki’s, one hand wrapping in Loki’s long hair.

With a small gasp turning into a mewl, Loki returned the kiss, using energy carefully but still siphoning so he could stay solid enough for TJ to feel him. After a lot of kissing, Loki broke away and whispered, “you are not disgusted or angry with me?” He touched his forehead barely to TJ’s, knowing that TJ would be feeling hunger once more, needing to replace the energy taken.

Licking his lips, as if he could taste Loki on his skin, TJ shook his head, “not at all. I - - I’m gay.”

“Gay . . . a lover of men?” Loki let out a relieved chuckle. “And you said, when we met, that men can marry men in this new century? That it is acceptable now for men to love?” The raven-haired spirit stroked TJ’s cheek carefully, softly.

TJ nuzzled into Loki’s hand, his bright red eyes flickering shut for a moment as he turned his head and nipped at Loki’s fingertips. “Very acceptable now . . .”

“You will need more energy if we are to . . . try this?” Loki breathed, turning his head to brush a gentle kiss on TJ’s temple, flushing in embarrassment.

Shaking his head, TJ kissed Loki’s neck, gently nipping at his skin, “just take it from me, it’s okay . . .”

Chuckling, Loki said, “and how much have you eaten tonight? I guarantee I will need quite a bit of energy to . . . be lovers.” Loki continued to flush but he smiled, a teasing light in his eyes.

“Only been drinking a pint, like you told me. I’m listening to you,” TJ answered, lapping at Loki’s neck, right over his pulse point, if he still had a beating heart.

Lifting TJ’s chin to meet his eyes, Loki studied the vampire’s features. “And you promise you don’t feel hungry? You are so young as a vampire, sometimes more feeding can help ease the frenzy from happening, if you know that you shouldn’t eat too much.”

“Don’t wanna stop,” TJ murmured, pulling his head away from Loki’s grip to kiss and nipping at Loki’s neck, letting the coolness of Loki’s being surround him. “Just take whatever you need from me . . .”

“TJ,” Loki’s voice growled softly in warning, “listen to me, my love. If you lose too much energy, you might go into frenzy. If you take a pint now, you can prevent the frenzy because you will have the extra energy I will need to take. Do you understand, darling?”

“Jus’ gonna make me stop,” TJ pouted, but pulled away completely, heading back towards the door. “Tryin’ to get me fat, is that it?” The teasing had finally returned. “Butter me up?”

“Very tasty,” Loki replied, running a hand over TJ’s firm rump. “Want you to _feel_ our loving.”

“Oh, I’ll feel it, alright,” TJ winked. It only took a minute to get his feeding over with before he turned back to Loki, wrapping his arms around Loki’s neck and crashing his lips against Loki’s again. TJ nipped at Loki’s lip, tugging a bit.

Chuckling, Loki slid to the ground, tugging TJ with him under the faint rain. He began stripping the vampire, enjoying kisses and touching his lover’s sweet face. “You want loving, my darling?” Loki purred.

“Have you loved a man before?” TJ asked softly, looking up at Loki, his skin becoming quickly soaked once more, though he could feel the cold, it didn’t bother him anymore.

Blushing brightly, Loki said, “once . . . and I was so scared and nervous . . . it was more fumbling than grace?”

Humming, flashing Loki another smile, TJ stroke down Loki’s back, “I highly doubt that. You are graced personified. Though . . . how do you lose the clothes? They aren’t exactly . . . I mean . . . you haven’t changed since I’ve known you . . . do they even come off?” TJ had never thought about how sex with a ghost might work.

Chuckling, Loki said, “I present the appearance I wish to present, actually.” Closing his eyes, the clothes slowly faded, leaving the pale, slender grace of Loki’s nude body behind. The spirit opened his eyes and asked, “well? This is how I appeared in life. I can modify if you prefer, though it takes energy not to present as I am.”

“No, why would I want anyone else?” TJ asked, leaning up to kiss Loki’s lips again, letting his legs fall open a bit more.

“Well, if you prefer parts of me to be changed?” Loki offered, flushing again. He let his eyes trail down the nude form of the beautiful brunet, his chest heaving as if he caught his breath. Slowly, gently, Loki ran his fingers over TJ’s opening, smiling at the sensation as if he felt pleasure from the touch.

Groaning, TJ’s eyes fluttered closed again and he canted his hips up, his cock already hardening. “I - - I want you to fuck me . . . please, Loki, fuck me now . . .” TJ’s body seemed to open up fast, not at all the pace that any normal male passage should.

“You want _me_ in _you_?” The last, and only time, he’d had gay sex, Loki had been the one entered. Not that he minded either way, he supposed, but he certainly felt surprised not to have to argue for the dominant position. Loki’s hand caressed upwards, over the underneath of TJ’s straining cock.

Mewling, TJ nodded, brunet curls falling over his forehead because of the rain that still fell from the sky. “Please? I want you to fuck me . . . if - - if you’re a bottom, though . . . we can do that . . .”

“A bottom?” Loki shook his head, “what terms you use. I do not know that one.” He stroked his fingers up and over TJ’s cockhead then back down towards his heavy sac. His other hand worked at TJ’s entrance, two fingers easing in and spreading TJ wide in preparation.

“Bottom is . . . is a person, if you like, taking it?” TJ explained, panting a bit, his cock already leaking precum.

“So a man or woman who likes to have the other lover inside?” Loki asked, slipping a third finger easily into TJ’s rectum, sliding in and out, finger fucking his lover.

Panting and grunting, TJ nodded and smiled at Loki, “yeah . . . please don’t say you’re a bottom now!” He rocked his hips with the thrusting.

“And the one doing the entering is called a top, perhaps?” Loki purred as he found and stroked TJ’s prostate gland. Loki enjoyed the noises and movements TJ made.

Moaning loud and obscenely, TJ nodded, “yeah - - yeah . . . you’re gettin’ it!” He continued to roll his hips, not sure how Loki found his prostate so effortlessly, but TJ wasn’t about to complain.

Loki smiled, pleased that his medical research reading had paid off. Stroking again as he pulled his fingers out, Loki purred, “you sure you want this, TJ love?” Loki lined up his stiffened cock at TJ’s entrance, holding himself steady as he’d never done this before.

“Yes, yes . . . oh, fuck - - yes, I want this . . . please, please just fuck me?” TJ begged on a high whine, his bright red eyes looking up at Loki as his hips canted up, causing the head of Loki’s cock to push in just a little bit.

Gasping at the feeling, as well as the energy needed to even remain corporeal enough for them both to enjoy this, Loki slowly slid in, slipping a couple of times as he tried to push in, having to re-seat himself and push again. When finally embedded, Loki buried his face in TJ’s shoulder with a low groan. “So . . . so perfect. You . . . I fit so perfectly with you.”

Mouth dropped open slightly in an expression of pure bliss, TJ nodded, turning his head so he could nip at Loki’s neck, lapping right over the bite mark. “God, yes - - feel so good . . . you can move . . . don’t even hurt at all . . . feel so good.”

Whispering, as if afraid to break the moment, Loki said, “if I move, I’m afraid I’ll slip again.”

“It’s ‘kay . . . jus’ move a little bit at first. Take more energy from me if you need - - I can . . . I can feed after this, it’s okay,” TJ started to rock his hips to help Loki out a bit, needing more friction.

Nodding, Loki reached down to grip his cock and began to slide out then push back in, only a little at a time until he got more confidence. He tried more and slipped out with an obscene pop, his cockhead rubbing down between TJ’s ass cheeks. With a groan, Loki re-positioned himself and began to work in and out, carefully, very shortly getting a rhythm and managing to stay inside his vocal lover. “Feel so good, TJ,” he moaned.

“Got an idea,” TJ panted softly, licking his plush red lips before gripping Loki’s arms and rolling them, ending with TJ on top, the rain hitting his pale back, looking down at Loki. “Let go of your cock, babe,” TJ softly ordered, leaning down to kiss Loki’s lips, using his surprisingly strong legs to keep himself up.

Nodding, Loki did as ordered, letting go of his shaft and moving his hands to TJ’s hips, ice-green eyes wide with wonder and intense pleasure. “This is _different_ ,” he smiled.

Laughing softly, TJ nodded and then sank fully onto Loki’s cock, his ass fully seated on his lover’s pelvis. Letting out a low groan, head falling back in pleasure, exposing the long, slender lines of his neck, TJ said, “yeah . . . that’s it . . . feels good, huh?” He didn’t move at first.

“Feel perfect,” Loki moaned, inadvertently thrusting his hips up and embedding himself just that little bit more, balls slapping against TJ’s firm globes. “You . . . you’ve done this a bit?” No censure traced Loki’s words; he sounded pleased.

“A bit, yeah,” TJ murmured, swallowing thickly before using his legs to begin rising and falling on Loki’s shaft, keeping his cock embedded inside TJ’s ass the entire time. He kept the pace slow at first, letting Loki feel and experience everything that came with being the one to penetrate. Looking down again, rain water dripping from his curls, TJ smiled at Loki as he started to move a little faster, his muscles quivering and squeezing around Loki’s cock.

Using strong abdominal muscles, Loki had been athletic before death, the raven-haired spirit curled up to kiss TJ’s chest. He reached up and encircled a hand behind the vampire's neck, pulling him down into a kiss. “You are sexy, darling. You know that? Sexy and addictive.” Loki repeated his experimental thrusting, rising to meet TJ’s downward push.

“Take whatever you need from me, Loki . . . take - - take it all,” TJ breathed out, his cock slapping against his own abdomen, hard and flushed, leaking a steady amount of precum. “God, feel so good . . . it’s like your cock was made for me . . .” TJ moaned, angling himself so Loki brushed against his prostate, making the muscles tighten more around Loki’s shaft.

With a soft cry, Loki’s cock seemed to pulse and he moaned, “gonna explode, darling. You’re so . . . can’t last.”

“That’s okay . . . cum - - fill me up - - I’m close, too . . .” TJ kept himself angled so that Loki stroked over his prostate with every single thrust.

Obeying happily, crying out in a low moan of release, Loki came hard, filling his lover with pure energy. He closed his eyes only briefly then forced them open once more, flushing. “I . . . don’t . . . know,” he panted, “how . . . to . . . repli . . . cate it . . . for you.”

Shaking his head, rocking his hips and gripping his own shaft in one hand in a desperate bid to cum, TJ finally cried out softly as his entire body seemed to quiver, painting his release all over his own hand. Panting, TJ rode out the waves of his orgasm before rolling off Loki, landing on his back on the grass. TJ wiped off his hand in the grass as he said, “that was . . . perfect. Holy shit.”

Letting out a soft chuckle, Loki said, “think I can cross salt still?” He leaned over and nuzzled TJ’s neck then temple. “I love you, TJ Hammond.”

Blinking, TJ looked up at Loki, tilting his head slightly, “you . . . love me?”

Nodding, Loki met TJ’s eyes. “Yes. I know it seems rather quick, but I have never felt for anyone as I feel for you.”

“I’m not worth loving,” TJ said softly, reaching up to stroke Loki’s cheek, offering him a small smile.

“We differ on that,” Loki smiled back. “You are worth loving to me.” He slowly rose from the ground and his lover’s arms, semi-transparent after such an expenditure of energy. Moving gracefully, still nude, towards the herd, Loki managed to guide one of the cows over to TJ. “Drink a pint and heal her, my love. I can get another if you still hunger.”

Nodding, TJ rolled to his feet, still naked and soaked from the nonstop rain. He walked over to the cow and fed from her, drinking roughly a pint before healing her up. TJ groaned softly, letting his eyes close again as the blood replenished him. He wiped at his mouth and then glanced over at Loki, “ready to head back inside?”

With a nod, Loki held out his hand to his lover. “Ready, TJ.” He remained nude, not bothered by shyness around the pretty brunet.

Scooping up his muddy and soaked clothing from the ground, TJ took Loki’s hand with his other one and smiled, lips still stained a bright red. “That was good, right? You enjoyed yourself?”

Leaning in, Loki nuzzled at TJ’s temple. “It was perfect. Was it good for you, my darling?” He let the rain wash some of the blood and mud from TJ, walking slowly with his lover in order to aide the natural bath.

“Yeah, it was good,” TJ smiled at Loki, almost completely washed off by the time they stepped into the aging home. “Can - - can you stay with me while I sleep? I . . . you can feed off my energy while I rest . . . I can feed when I wake up?” TJ worried at his plush bottom lip, looking a bit sheepish for asking such a thing.

“TJ, do you fear being alone?” Loki asked, still holding the vampire’s hand. He didn’t ask if the brunet feared the dark or some such, hitting closer to the truth.

Ducking his head, TJ shrugged his shoulders, looking young and scared and vulnerable, “I . . . I like people with me?”

“I would love to spend every moment you allow by your side. Come, let’s go get rest. The sun will rise soon, despite the rain.” Loki lifted TJ’s hand to his lips and kissed the palm.

**************

Laying on the large lounger in the library, long legs kicked up over the back and his head hanging over the edge, watching Loki - - though upside down - - as he read yet another ancient text on vampires, TJ asked, “what type of gibberish are you reading now?” Time didn’t seem to matter inside the old home with Loki. TJ had lost count of how many days he’d been a guest in the home . . . though the weather had shifted from rain to snow in the last few days and TJ was secretly glad the cold didn’t bother him anymore because the rundown house was undoubtedly freezing to mortals.

Smiling behind his book, Loki chuckled, “this is written in a nearly obscure language little known to modern man. It’s called _English_.”

“You’re actually reading a book in English?” TJ grinned brightly, smoothly kicking his legs back so he gracefully rolled off the lounger and started walking towards the desk Loki always sat at. “Do you have any books on spirits or anything - - or did your family have a sick obsession with vampires?”

“The library downstairs was full of occult research, actually. This is my mother’s private library, though Father said it was his. He said anything on this property was his.” Loki closed the book, a ribbon of velvet for a mark. He met TJ’s curious eyes.

“So,” TJ leaned against the strong, though aged, dark wooden desk, “is that a no on the ghost books? I mean - - I want to know if there is a way to help you?”

Chuckling, remembering that TJ was not the most intellectual companion, Loki said, “the downstairs library contained books on ghosts, yes. And what help do I need, darling?”

“Have you read those?” TJ asked, tilting his head a bit.

“Not in a century,” Loki answered. He watched TJ, amusement in his eyes.

“So, you read about soulless bloodsuckers, but you don’t read about yourself?” TJ questioned, brows furrowed in confusion.

“Who says you are a _soulless_ bloodsucker? You sound like my father.” Loki shook his head and stood. “My mother, however, had these books to try to find a cure for vampires rather than to just destroy them.”

“So, that’s it then. You’re trying to cure me?” TJ watched Loki with a soft frown.

Chuckling again, Loki shook his head, “actually, no. I am trying to find a way to help you with the blood cravings so you can maintain maximum energy with minimum blood letting. In other words, I want to help you feed without humans catching on.” The raven-haired spirit strode over to his brunet lover and brushed a cold hand across the vampire’s cheek. “So lovely, so beautiful and giving.”

“And what about you? Why don’t you want to help yourself? Are you content to just be - - here?” TJ gestured around the dusty, old library with his arms outspread.

Tilting his head, watching TJ intently, Loki asked, “TJ, what exactly do you mean about _helping_ me? What do you wish to do?”

“I don’t know,” TJ worried at his bottom lip, looking down, a clear sign he was holding something back from Loki.

“TJ . . .” Loki let his voice drop in warning. “What is it you want for me?”

“I want you to be able to leave,” TJ said softly, “I - - I can’t stay here forever, we both know that. I - - if there is a way to . . . bring you back or something . . .”

“Ah, well, you should have clarified, my love. Most people who want to _help_ a ghost want to move it on to the afterlife, which I am not ready for.” Loki smiled widely, eyes lighting up.

“And you don’t want that?” TJ asked, meeting Loki’s eyes, “you’ve been here for how long?”

Touching TJ’s cheek, Loki murmured, “if I move on, I will not be with you. I _love_ you. I wish to stay with you.”

Pulling away from Loki’s touch, TJ shook his head, “Loki . . . you - - I’m not worth staying here for. I’ve done horrible things. You’re pure. We both know this. You know what that means?”

Shaking his head, Loki said, “come downstairs, my heart. And I will show you something you have not noticed.” He held his hand out to TJ, smiling.

TJ took Loki’s hand, letting the ghost lead him out of the study.

Once downstairs, Loki led TJ into the music room with ease, and sat him down at the piano. “Now, my heart, look to the door of the music room and tell me what you see.”

Frowning a bit, TJ looked at the door and then back at Loki, “I don’t see anything?”

“Salt, my love. You laid down salt to prove I was pure. Did you realize that for the last five months you have been crossing that salt line every day? This means you are not unholy.” Loki looked triumphant.

Shaking his head, TJ sighed and said, “don’t think the same thing applies to vampires, Loki. At least in all the legends and shit I’ve read. It really just applies to ghosts . . . spirits and stuff.”

“Spirits, ghosts, demons, witches of evil intent,” Loki corrected. “So, if it works to keep those unholy things back, why wouldn’t it work to keep an unholy vampire at bay?”

“You can’t just make stuff up in order to try and make me feel better. I can guarantee you that I’m not holy,” TJ looked down at his hands and then back up at Loki, “but, _you_ are. You’re still good. Don’t you . . . don’t you have people you want to see again? I mean, I don’t know what you believe in religion wise but . . . I see the way you speak about your mother and brother, Thor, don’t tell me that you don’t wish to see them again?”

“In time, I will,” Loki agreed, “but I have been nearly one hundred years dead and alone. I have finally found a love and wish time with him.” Loki stroked TJ’s cheek. “And I never said either of us is _holy_ , just not _unholy_. There are three types of beings. I believe we fall in the middle. However, travel,” Loki watched TJ, “might be nice. So, perhaps if some of the library survived the vandals I can find out how to leave this house and that cursed room?”

“What exactly happens when you run out of energy, anyways?” TJ asked, looking up at Loki, letting the whole holy and unholy thing go for the moment.

“I have to try to gather more, so I loose form and sound. I can barely move. I can’t touch or pick up things at all. I am stuck in my bedroom, unable to cross through the wall to Thor’s room, so stuck in there where Father locked me.” Loki sighed and shrugged. “I am unable to even flicker a pale light.”

“That must be pretty scary . . .” TJ whispered softly, looking sympathetic.

Nodding, Loki said, “it was terrifying when we argued and I couldn’t gather the strength to come to you.” Loki caressed TJ’s cheek. “Come, let us check the library and see if the vandals and thieves left us anything interesting?”

TJ nodded and slipped from the piano bench to follow Loki, “they steal things from here?” Luckily they hadn’t had any more unwanted guests since that last time.

“In the early days especially. There were many valuable items Father had collected which were stolen.” Loki sighed. “Of course no one dared enter my room to steal. So anything I actually had in my bedroom remains. And no one entered Mother's library, so those books remain. I gave up long ago trying to see what was stolen. It hurts, despite not normally _needing_ material possessions. But the books . . . the knowledge lost.” The spirit lead his lover into the locked library, a room that had oddly enough also never been disturbed by the vandals, though weather and creatures had destroyed many a volume or figuring. Ivy ran over the walls, coming in from cracked windows, rain and weather had moldered the carpets and wallpaper. Books lay in moldy, rotten heaps of wet paper, their wisdom long lost to time.

TJ looked around the room, separating from Loki for a moment to explore the new room. He ran his hand over on of the walls that was mostly covered in vines then yanked his hand back with a yelp. Looking down at his fingers, TJ blinked at the sight of his burned and blistering fingertips. “What the . . .” TJ looked at the wall again and carefully pulled away the vines with his uninjured hand. He staggered back and blinked in shock at the sight of wooden stakes with silver tips, silver chains, even a crossbow . . . “Loki?”

Turning, Loki sighed and strode over, “careful. Don’t touch. That’s silver, TJ.”

“Yeah, no shit,” TJ displayed his blistered fingers to Loki.

Taking TJ’s hand, Loki kissed his injured fingers, murmuring, “my poor love. I hadn’t thought about Father’s weapons wall or I’d have warned you.”

“Why . . . why do you have all this stuff?” TJ asked, swallowing thickly as he looked up at Loki.

“Because they are the tools of the trade for a Laufeyson, even if I refused to follow Father and leaned towards Mother’s ideals instead.” Loki sighed and looked around then nodded, “here, come.” He lead TJ to a wooden and glass case, the glass long broken and yellowed. Inside were many small plaques, created to honor people. In this case, the plaques all honored past Laufeysons, and listed titles such as _Witch Breaker_ and _Demon Slayer_ and _Vampire Exterminator_ on them. There were quite a few listed as vampire killers in one form or another. “My father was quite proud of his heritage, though I preferred Mother’s more scientific approach, her idea of a cure.”

Frowning softly, TJ nodding, holding his hand close to his chest as he read the plaques. “Of course I took refuge in a house full of shit that could kill me . . .”

“I would never use any of this stuff against you, TJ,” Loki said, meeting his lover’s eyes.

“I’d sure as hell hope not . . . not after everything,” TJ murmured softly, looking up at Loki with worried eyes. “So, that’s how you know so much about . . . what I am?”

“Yes, through the research of my ancestors. My mother’s researched lead me to understand how to help avoid the feeding frenzy.” Loki gestured towards a relatively sheltered wooden cabinet across the room from the silvered items. “That cabinet there contains more of her research, on other creatures aside from vampires. Vampires were her passion, but she did research other beings.”

Fingers already starting to heal, TJ nodded, letting out a huff, “yeah. Did she have anything with ghosts and stuff?”

“I believe so, TJ. I was more fascinated with living, or near living, things so did very little research on spirits.” Loki walked over and lifted his hands, unsure if silver had been added to the cabinet doors. It had not, so he opened the wooden doors and sighed in surprise at the cloth bound volumes stored neatly inside. “It looks like these might have survived. We should bring them upstairs for safe keeping.”

Looking around the room again, TJ nodded, “yeah, I wanna get outta this room. Gives me the creeps.”

“I am sorry, TJ. I cannot change what my family did, only what I am doing.” Loki concentrated and grabbed several volumes. “This will take a few trips to bring them all, TJ.”

“Can I grab some or will they burn the shit out of my hand?” TJ asked, watching the cabinet warily.

Offering TJ a smile, Loki said, “these are leather, not silver. They shouldn’t harm you at all.”

Taking a few steps, TJ watched the cabinet like it was about to jump out and bite him as he reached inside and grabbed several more of the journals. He stacked them high in his arms so they wouldn’t have to make another trip. “C’mon, let’s get the hell out of this room.”

Nodding, Loki led the way, carefully guiding TJ with his heavy, large load. They made it back to the upstairs library and Loki out down his small bundle, stepping close to TJ for energy but trying not to siphon too much, too quickly. He grew slightly transparent.

“You need more energy?” TJ asked, setting down his large stack before turning to Loki, watching him with a slightly tilted head.

“I don’t wish to drain you too much, love,” Loki offered a smile. “With the herds inside their barns, it’s harder to find you food. We have to rely on the deer and moose.”

“I’ll go hunt in a bit, I’m fine, really,” TJ waved dismissively, “you can trust me, I know my limits and stuff now. You know that.”

Nodding, Loki stepped closer and hugged TJ to him. “Thank you, love. I’d really rather not go to my room.”

Hugging Loki back, feeling the spirit tapping into his energy, TJ said, “so, these books of your Momma’s . . . they in gibberish or can I help you read them?”

Chuckling, Loki said, “these will be in a variety of writing, but, if you want, I’ll let you read her notes. Some of the books are her journals about her research.” Loki stroked TJ’s cheek.

“How do you know so many different languages?” TJ asked, meeting Loki’s eyes.

With a laugh, Loki said, “I learned Greek, Latin, and French during my early schooling and in the time since I died, I have been able to study my mother's library, which has books to translate other languages like Aramaic. After a hundred years, I’ve learned a thing or two.”

“And here I am and I failed Spanish class,” TJ murmured, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish look.

“Not everyone has a gift with learning, my darling,” Loki soothed, stroking TJ’s arm. “You have a gift with music that i could never hope to match, even after a hundred years. My mother’s piano was wasted without you.”

Snorting softly, TJ shook his head and said, “music wasn’t gonna get me anywhere. So . . .” TJ shrugged his shoulders and picked up one of the old journals, unwrapping it and opening it. TJ only had to sift through the book for a few moments to realize he didn’t stand a chance in hell of understanding anything written in the book or it’s margins. With a huff, TJ put the book down.

Glancing over from the stack of books he carefully unwrapped and organized, Loki asked, “what’s wrong, love?”

“Jus’ . . . can’t help with any of,” TJ waved in the direction of the books, “that. I’ll just go . . . assume my position?” TJ walked back over to the lounger and got in the same position as before. “Can you still feed off me from over here?”

“Yes, I have done for five months, TJ,” Loki responded, frowning in worry as he watched the vampire. “Do you know how to read and write, love? I can teach you.”

“‘Course I know how to read and write. Don’t know how to read _that_ stuff,” TJ answered, kicking his feet over the back of the lounger. “Tol’ you. I’m not smart. Never have been. You’d probably love Bucky. Everyone always loves Bucky.”

Lowering his eyes to the books in front of him, Loki said, “my only other lover was a vampire. I hadn’t known it until after I died, but he was. Isn’t it something? I must be fated to love vampires.” He pulled over the journals abandoned by TJ and started organizing those, too.

Humming softly, TJ asked, “was he good to you?”

Smiling, Loki nodded. “Yes, Jonathan was wonderful. I sometimes miss him. We never had the chance to get beyond good friends to being in love, though I had started falling. Have you had a special friend or lover, my heart?”

Looking thoughtful, TJ didn’t say anything for a few moments before he said, “I’ve had friends, sure. And I’ve slept with several people . . . but, like what you and I have?” TJ shook his head. “I wasn’t a good kid in high school . . . had to live up to my father’s expectations, ya know? As the disappointment?”

“Well, while you tried hard to disappoint your father, I succeeded wonderfully,” Loki sighed. “He wanted me to become a priest and then a slayer. I refused on both counts.” Loki began to glance through the journal TJ had abandoned.

“Why didn’t you want to become a priest? You seem like you’d be good at that?” TJ asked, his head still hanging over the edge of the lounger.

“Take my vows and swear my love only to God? Now, I couldn’t do that. I’m honest, at least. I am too worldly to want to belong to the church only.” Loki turned his head and grinned over at TJ. “Hey, TJ, where’s your ball?”

“Where is my ball?” TJ echoed, tapping the tip of his nose in thought as he tried to recall the last place he’d see the black bouncy ball that had been left by intruders God knew how long ago. “You probably hid it.”

“Yes, I did. Now you have a game to play if you wish. I will give clues if you wish?” Loki smiled at TJ as he sank onto the desk chair in preparation of reading his mother’s words.

Rolling off the lounger once more, TJ stood up and said, “okay, I’ll bite. What’s the first clue?”

“It is in the upstairs though not locked out of reach,” Loki said, keeping his riddle as simple as he could.

“It’s on the third floor? I’ve never been on the third floor,” TJ looked up at the ceiling, to the floor he’d never been to before.

Looking thoughtful, Loki answered, “not on the first floor.”

“Alright, guess I can go look for it,” TJ replied and turned to go look for the ball that Loki had hidden. He went up to the third floor which had just been a very organized, if dusty attic, that were full of clothes and old pictures of the family, which TJ looked through for almost an hour before giving up. He didn’t think the ball was up there. Coming back to the study, TJ leaned against the door frame, “so, not in the attic.”

Looking up from the journal, Loki smiled and said, “not in the attic. You will find the ball with someone who loves balls.”

Quirking a brow at Loki, TJ said, “it’s only you and me in this house. No one else. How can the ball be with something else that loves balls?”

“You might have to find the ball to see,” Loki chuckled. “Can you think of _nothing_ that likes balls?”

Frowning softly in thought, TJ answered, “well, dogs like balls but last time I checked, there were no dogs here.”

“No? Then have you checked in all places dogs love to go?” Loki lifted his eyes, looking amused and happy.

“Now, you’re just confusing me,” TJ replied and turned to go look some more. Where did dogs like to go? Outside, maybe? But . . . TJ didn’t think Loki would hide a ball outside in the snow. He’d never been good at riddles. And he was starting to get hungry, so perhaps he was a bit more irritable. “Can I have another clue?” TJ called out, knowing Loki would be able to hear him.

Loki appeared at the top of the steps and nodded, “first, you get your meal, then we continue our game.” He held out his hand. “Come, my love, I heard a moose in the woods earlier. Maybe it’s still there. From such a large animal you can get two pints.”

Looking at Loki, TJ nodded, running his tongue over his fangs before stopping in front of Loki and taking his hand, “yeah, I’m starving.”

Leading TJ down the steps, Loki took him out back to the woods, smiling as if he had a treat in store for his lover. “You’ve been giving me so much energy, my love. And so well controlled after.” Loki gestured to the large moose, a bull well over eight feet high and built heavy and strong. “Go carefully so as not to spook him, TJ,” Loki advised.

Nodding, TJ dropped a kiss to Loki’s cheek before slipping away from his lover and approaching the extremely large animal. The closer he got, the stronger he could hear the strong animal’s pulse, could smell the warm blood rushing through its veins. Once close enough, TJ pounced the moose and latched his teeth right over a pulse point. However, TJ didn’t stop at a pint or even two . . . he was so hungry and the blood felt so good on his tongue.

“TJ!” Loki sounded sharp and shocked. “Let it go! You’ll kill it!” Loki rushed forward, trying to pull TJ from the moose’s neck.

TJ didn’t let go, almost like he couldn’t even hear Loki’s warnings. He continued to drink, going down with the animal when it collapsed to the snow covered ground in it’s weakness.

Loki tugged harder on TJ’s shoulders, growling out, “TJ, stop! You can’t kill him! Stop!” He began to regret showing the regal animal to his lover if his lover could so lose control and slaughter the beast.

Finally letting go, collapsing to his ass on the snow, right next to the large animal who still lived but just barely, TJ looked confused.

Tears flowing down his face, Loki growled, “heal him now!” He knelt but away from the moose, not wanting to suck any energy from the struggling creature.

Blood dripping down his chin, TJ looked down at the weakened animal and everything seemed to click into place. His eyes widened in horror. He leaned over and starting lapping at the wound on the Moose’s neck, sealing up the wounds. The moose let out a bellow but seemed to gain some of its strength back.

Still crying, Loki softly instructed, “make sure to give him water and grass, TJ. You need to nurse him back to health. Please, don’t let him die.”

Nodding, not saying a word or wiping at the blood on his face, TJ got the necessary items for the large beast for it to drink and eat, which it did. TJ couldn’t even meet Loki’s eyes as he helped the moose to eat and drink.

Staying well away, Loki softly said, “if he can stand, he’ll probably live, TJ. Try to see if he’s got strength. If not, you’ll have to tend him until he can, which could be days depending on how much blood you took.”

The sound of voices and crunching snow approached and Loki paled, glancing in that direction. “Damn!.” He reached out and grabbed TJ’s arm, tugging him away from the weakened animal. “We must go!”

“What about . . . I need to heal him . . .” TJ murmured, almost seeming in a state of shock, tugging against Loki’s grip.

Nodding, Loki said, “very well, get his head and I’ll help you carry him to the house, but from now on, you feed with a glass!”

TJ didn’t say anything, still not looking at Loki. Between the two of them, Loki using a great deal of energy to lift the nine hundred pound animal, they were able to get it back into the small barn next to the manor. TJ stayed kneeling down next to the beast, which wobbled to his feet once inside the semi-warmth of the still mostly intact barn.

Faded almost completely, barely audible, Loki said, “get him water and grass or hay. Tend him. Feed carefully on the deer in the woods. Stay out of sight.” And Loki faded away, returning to his room devoid of energy once more.

“No, wait!” TJ shouted at the spot where Loki used to be. Why didn’t Loki take from him? TJ had enough energy to keep Loki here. Feeling guilt swell inside of him, TJ stroked the moose’s fur and murmured, “I’m sorry . . .”

***************

Over a week had passed and Loki had yet to return, and TJ wondered if Loki ever would. Had TJ ruined everything, like he always did? He hadn’t meant to hurt the moose, he just - - he was so hungry and he couldn’t stop! Luckily, the moose made a full recovery and TJ had released it back to the woods just that morning. He’d only fed the bare absolute minimum. Using the glass like before, and only drinking three pints a day, just enough to keep him from starving himself.

Wandering the home, looking pale and almost sick, TJ toyed with the idea of leaving the home. Maybe Loki wasn’t coming back because he was still there? Walking down the hall, TJ stopped in front of the locked door, the one that Loki had said was his . . . the door with several large locks sealing it from the outer world. Lifting a hand, TJ went to try and force the door open, that way he could apologize to Loki and move on . . . letting Loki have his peace once more. But, as soon as he wrapped his hand around the door knob his palm seared in pain and he yanked it back. Looking down, TJ blinked dumbly at the severe burns on his hand, and then looked at the door knob which had been encased in silver.

“Loki,” TJ called shakily, moving from the hallway to Thor’s room, directly to the wall which was shared with Loki’s room. “Take what you need from me, please?”

“TJ?” Loki’s voice came very faintly, sounding far away. “Not enough to take . . .”

“Yes there is, please . . . just - - just take whatever you need? Please?” TJ begged.

“You’ll frenzy again,” Loki replied softly. “You’re starving, I can feel it.”

“I don’t want you to hate me,” TJ placed his injured hand on the wall, dropping his forehead to the wall.

“Don’t hate you. Will teach . . .” Loki’s voice faded.

TJ sobbed and hit his head on the wall a few times before pushing off, stumbling his way down the stairs and out the back, grabbing the glass which he hadn’t bothered to clean in several days off the counter on the way out. He fed and then returned, sliding down the wall and lightly banging the back of his head against the wall shared with Loki’s room, not saying anything.

A hand slid through the wall and touched TJ’s cheek, a familiar cold, draining some of his renewed energy. Loki managed to slip all the way through the wall but he looked so transparent. His voice came very softly. “You haven’t fed enough all week.”

“Take the energy from me. Make - - make yourself co - - co . . . what’s that word? Just take it all from me, please?” TJ begged, tears running down his cheeks.

“No, TJ,” Loki whispered. “I will not drain you dry. But I wall come while you feed again.”

“I don’t want to be this anymore!” TJ shouted at Loki, fresh tears running down his gaunt cheeks. “Please! I - - I can’t live like this anymore! Just . . . take it all. It’s the only thing I can give you!”

Sighing, Loki hovered there and offered, “my mother’s journals may hold the answer as to how we can leave this place. Out there, in the world, the may be other options, cures or at least ways to deal with . . .”

“There’s no fucking cures, Loki! I’m dead! I’m a fucking monster! Please, let me do this? It’s my choice!” TJ shouted at Loki, uncaring if someone walking by the manor could hear him.

“You aren’t dead,” Loki softly corrected.

“Whatever the fuck I am, I ain’t human! Please, I - - I can’t give the world anything but I can give it to you,” TJ pushed off the wall and stood, looking directly at Loki’s face. “You can be co - - corporeal or whatever, right? I drank eight pints, please, that’s enough, right? I didn’t want to overfeed but it’s enough energy for you. Please?”

Sighing, Loki nodded and began to let himself siphon more energy from the weakened vampire, his form solidifying for his lover. Once completely solid looking, Loki met TJ’s eyes. “You want to leave me. You don’t want to learn to control the hunger.”

Leaning against the wall, looking paler than normal, TJ shook his head sluggishly, “I never wanted this. I can’t . . . I’m a monster. You have to kill me, you have all that stuff downstairs. Please?”

Loki hugged himself, tears forming in his eyes, “you want me to _kill_ you, the man I love?”

“I’ll hurt someone. I’ve already killed people. I’m a monster. You - - you can kill me and then move on . . . be with your family . . .” TJ slid down the wall again, his legs shaking too much to hold his weight.

“I don’t _want_ to move on, TJ. And I don’t want to kill you. You can learn this, you were doing so well. We just need to monitor your energy better.” Loki watched TJ, misery in his very being.

“But, I’m gonna hurt someone . . .” TJ pulled off his dog tags he wore and dropped them to the floor next to him, “I can’t . . . before I kill someone else.”

“TJ, I _can’t_ kill you,” Loki whispered, sounding as if he struggled with pain and grief.

“It won’t make your soul less pure, Loki. I’m a monster . . . you’d be doing the world a favor,” TJ let his head fall back to the wall once more, his bright red eyes tired. His fingers stroked over the cool metal of the dog tags and he swallowed thickly.

“There are numerous species of fish, insects, plants, and animals that live off the blood of other beings, TJ. You are not a monster. You belong to the natural world. You simply need to learn control.” Loki approached and sank down beside the vampire. “I can help you. You’ve come so far in the last six months.”

“I - - I almost killed it. You have no idea what I did before I met you,” TJ protested.

Nodding, Loki touched TJ’s cheek, “but you _didn't_ kill it, TJ. Despite what you did before meeting me, you stopped and healed the moose. I am so proud. You could have ignored me and finished it off. You could have gone after more animals or the humans coming up the hill. But you healed the moose and nurtured it back to health. That means you are redeemable.”

Shaking his head, not lifting it away from the wall, TJ murmured, “I’ve never done anything good in my life. It’s not going to change now.”

Loki leaned in and brushed his cheek against TJ’s. “Darling, no matter how the moose was hurt, you did save it. That was good. Now we work on helping you control the hunger, not starving yourself until you frenzy again. We get you enough to live off and let me live, too, and still keep the herds alive and well. We can do this together.”

“You won’t do it, will you,” TJ turned his head to meet Loki’s eyes, his own bright red ones miserable.

“I won’t kill you, TJ. I _love_ you.” Loki met TJ’s eyes with his on intense green.

“But, it’s my choice . . . I - - I can’t touch them or I’d do it myself,” TJ displayed a trembling hand, letting Loki see the severe blisters that hadn’t healed because he didn’t have the energy to heal it.

Standing up, Loki sighed. “It is your choice to die, darling. But it is _my_ choice not to kill.” He looked at TJ’s hand. “What happened there?”

Dropping his hand to the floor, TJ answered, “guess your door knob is coated in silver . . .”

Blinking in surprise, Loki said, “Father put silver on my door? My God, did he think I had already been turned? Is that why he left me to die?” Loki glanced towards his room and frowned. “IS that why I’m stuck here, forced to live in this house and _that_ room?”

“I don’t know . . .” TJ answered, blinking slowly, struggling to keep awake. He was hungry and tired. Maybe he could just sleep.

Loki turned and grabbed TJ by the arm, forcing him out of Thor’s room and down the hall. Firmly, he ordered, “you _will_ feed. Starving yourself won’t kill you.”

Shaking his head, TJ stumbled to keep up with Loki, “how else can I end it? You won’t help me.”

“Starving yourself _won’t_ kill you, TJ. It will make you frenzy and go into a blood lust killing spree. You have to eat.” Loki shook his head. “We can talk about this after you’ve gotten your food. Maybe,” Loki drew a shaking breath, “we can make a deal.”

“You promise?” TJ asked, looking up at Loki.

“I promise that if you feed so you have energy to talk and possible work with me, I will discuss a deal to make things better for you and me.” Loki met TJ’s eyes, “even if it means death.”

Nodding, TJ pointed to his gross, old blood coated glass, “need the glass,” he murmured, having to lean up against Loki to keep upright.

Loki ignored the glass and dragged TJ out to the old barn. He looked inside and nodded, “you wills top at a pint for each one. You _will_ control yourself. There’s a small herd of cows that wandered inf or warmth.”

“Need my glass . . .” TJ repeated.

Loki looked at JT. “Neither you or I have the strength to lift it. Now drink. And stop at a pint.”

“You . . . you said I had to . . .” TJ protested.

“TJ, please, don’t argue. Keep in your mind that there are more cows, with more blood. That you can feed off many instead of one. Drink only a pint from each. Stop at six cows. You will feel fine, I promise.”

“Your orders contradict one another,” TJ pouted softly.

“I _can’t_ lift the fucking glass for you!” Loki said again. “And you can’t either! How can we use it if we can’t lift it?”

TJ didn’t say anything, pushing to his hands and knees, uncaring of the painful blisters on one hand, and practically dragged himself to the first cow. He fed off the animal, a lot less than a pint, pulling off after only a few moments.

“Dammit, a full pint, TJ! How can we discuss things if you can’t think from hunger?” Loki glared at the vampire.

With tears in his eyes, TJ sank his fangs back into the animal, drinking for several more moments before pulling off and healing the animal.

“Good, TJ, now the second one,” Loki instructed.

Like before, TJ didn’t verbally respond, drinking from the next cow and then the one after that and then the one after that. Finally he finished from the sixth one, lapping at the wounds to seal them shut.

Nodding, Loki said, “come, we have a discussion we must have.” He looked unhappy as he turned for the mansion.

Hanging his head, wiping his mouth with the back of his head, TJ followed Loki into the mansion, not saying a single word.

Loki led TJ upstairs to Thor’s room. He touched the wall that bordered his own room. “Do you have the strength to break this wall? It’s rather thin.”

Stooping down to scoop up his brother’s dog tags, TJ slipped them over his head and tucked them into his shirt. “I can do whatever you want, Loki.”

“Okay, if you break the wall, I can freely move without using energy. I can escape that hell on Earth my father locked me into. And I can tell you a way to die which I won’t be forced to wield the stake.” Loki sounded unhappy, miserable, as he offered the deal.

Swallowing thickly, TJ looked around the room until he found a solid looking candlestick. Grabbing the item, TJ used his strength to bash a hole into the plaster. After that, TJ used his hands to rip at it until there was a big enough hole for him to fit through. He stepped back, allowing Loki to go through first.

With a shudder, Loki stepped into the place his spirit had been tied to. He hugged himself and looked around the dull, dusty dark room with expensive antique furniture, a sink with water pump in one corner, as well as an old fashioned pull chain toilet, a small shelf of first edition books, and a large canopy bed with a figure lying on the covers: a mummified corpse so thin, the man had obviously starved to death.

Stepping in after Loki, TJ blinked at the sight of the corpse on the bed, “you . . . died in here?”

“My father locked me in because I was a lover of men, and my lover had been a vampire. I was never permitted out. No one was permitted to open the door. I starved within a month.” Loki stared at his corpse, misery in his very being.

“No one helped you? Your mother? Your brother?” TJ couldn’t take his eyes off the corpse on the bed, his voice horrified.

“No one was permitted. My father owned the house and all in it. He ruled with an iron fist.” Loki dragged his eyes away from the bed to look at TJ. “I was nineteen years old.”

“That’s bullshit,” TJ frowned fiercely.

Stiffening, Loki said, bitterly, “I do _not_ lie!”

Looking at Loki, TJ shook his head, “I’m not saying you’re lying! I’m saying it took me all of five minutes to bust open that fucking wall!” TJ pointed at the hole he’d just made in the wall, “you’re telling me that big brother of yours couldn’t do _that_ while your father was out of something?”

Meeting TJ’s eyes, Loki said, “Father didn’t leave the house for months, afraid someone would try to break me out, TJ. He made sure I died in here.”

“No, that’s a bunch of bullshit and you know it,” TJ shook his head, fury in his very being, his eyes flashing a dangerous red and lips pulled back in a snarl. “He couldn’t stay awake for months at a time!”

“I didn’t say he never slept, just never left. I have no idea what he held over them more than his strong dominance. I was in here, not out there.” Loki hugged himself.

“So, they couldn’t get you out?” TJ’s fingers spasmed by his side, like he had anger literally seeping out of him that he didn’t know what to do with it. “They _all_ let you die. Your mother. Your brother. Your sister. Your father. _All_ of them!”

Closing his eyes, stepping closer to the curtained window, Loki whispered, “I have nothing to cross over for . . . now you see.”

“I hate them all. For what they did to you. There has to be a way to bring you back,” TJ said, frantically, desperately. “In all those damn books, there has to be a way to bring you back.”

“I’d settle for leaving this Godforsaken house,” Loki sighed. He pushed back the curtains revealing that Loki’s father had even put silver-laced bars on the window to keep him in.

Shaking his head, TJ turned and stepped out of the room, heading directly towards the study. He went over to the stack of books and started opening them, uncaring that he couldn’t understand a single word on the page.

Turning, Loki followed his lover and joined him in the study. He watched a moment then said, “you did what I asked, now I’ll give you your way to die. Walk into town. They will kill you as soon as they see you and have no regrets doing it.” He hated giving the vampire the information he hadn't thought of on his own.

Shaking his head, murmuring to himself, giving no indication that he’d even heard Loki’s words, TJ asked, “what the fuck does all this mean? Is there a way to bring you back?”

Walking over, Loki gently took his mother’s book and began to read out loud, “all beings have something they are connected to, something they cannot part from. For some it is an object or a place, others a person or ideal.” He looked at TJ.

“Okay,” TJ nodded, swallowing thickly, brunet curls disheveled, “is there something that can bring you back. Have you ever heard of such a thing?”

“TJ, I will have to read through them to find out. Recall, I only studied vampires, not spirits.” Loki closed the book and set it down.

“Then, read!” TJ gestured to the large stacks of books, “you read fast! You can read all of these in a day!” TJ grabbed another book and opened it, eyes scanning over the words that might as well be gibberish to him. The vampire seemed panicked and desperate.

Loki sighed and touched TJ’s arm gently. “TJ, please . . . calm down. I will read and see what I can find, but there’s so much information my mother couldn’t get to. Travel she wasn’t permitted to do to get to the information. Without access to the information, I may never find the answer for either of us.”

“Then tell me where to go,” TJ looked up at Loki, red eyes wide and intent, sounding like a scared young man. And really, that’s all TJ was. He’d only been eighteen when he was changed and he’d been thrust into this world of the supernatural. “I’ll get a spell or potion or whatever the fuck you need to get you back . . . if there are ghosts and vampires and shit, there has to be a way to bring you back to life.”

“A local library might be a start? A historian’s archives? A church, though I don't expect you to risk it,” Loki sighed. “What I need to do is study information from across the world! There is no grand library with all the information at my fingertips.”

“Too bad my _iPhone_ got destroyed when Sean changed me,” TJ grumbled a bit, “but, I doubt there’d be service on it anyways . . . then you’d have access to _Google_.”

“What is an _iPhone_?” Loki looked puzzled, “and a _Google_? Are they libraries?”

“ _iPhone_ is a mobile telephone that fits in the palm of your hand and _Google_ is kinda like a library . . . but better,” TJ sighed and looked around the study, “I’d offer to break into someone’s home and steal a computer . . . but you have no plugins here . . . I could steal a phone though . . .” TJ smiled at Loki.

Unsure what half the terms or ideas TJ spouted even were, Loki just blinked slowly, looking as stupid for once as TJ always felt. He asked, “how . . . what . . . okay. So how do we get a plugin? How do we get a laptop and a _Google_?”

“You can’t . . . but, if we can get a phone we might have a few hours to search with it before they lock it up . . .” TJ worried at his bottom lip, trying to think through everything, “too bad I don’t have Scott here . . . he’s the master at hacking into phones . . . to override the lock feature . . .” TJ ran his fingers through his hair.

“I am afraid I am at a loss. I feel utterly idiotic compared to your vast knowledge,” Loki sighed. “In order to get these things we need, we need to leave this house, but I know not how to stop my father’s curse on me.”

“But, I can leave,” TJ pointed out, trying to think over the best way to go about this plan. “Maybe look through the books first and then we can go from there?”

Nodding, Loki sank onto his chair and said, “your ball is under Thor’s bed, love.”

**************

Loki sighed and pulled over his mother’s last journal. He’d been through all the others, taking five days to get through the various notes in the margins and references to the other books in her library and the one downstairs - - several of which had been utterly destroyed by time and weather. Shaking his head, wondering if he and TJ were too hopeful of finding ways to help one another, Loki began to read the hundred year old leather bound volume. He blinked and reread a second time. Realization hit: this was the book TJ had tried to read a week before.

“TJ?” Loki looked up, “how’s the inventory of my room and the other objects compare to the list I found?”

“Everything in your room is accounted for,” TJ called back, poking his head in to look at Loki with a smile, “and the main things that are missing are some of the expensive china dining sets and some other silver, pricey valuables from the living areas downstairs but nothing else really . . . which is really lucky if you think about it.”

Stretching, siphoning energy now his lover was close again, Loki smiled back. “And of course most of the books have been destroyed.”

“Oh, yeah, those too,” TJ nodded, stepping into the room fully and walking up to Loki, “how’s the reading going?”

“Down to one journal.” Loki held it up to TJ, “the one that you were reading.”

“Any info that could help us out?” TJ asked, looking out the window and seeing the thick blanket of snow covering everything, the lights of the town down below.

“Haven’t started reading it yet. Wanted to check on you, love.” Loki reached out to stroke his hand down TJ’s spine. “Hungry?”

“But, nothing from the other one that you finished reading?” TJ asked, looking up at Loki with a smile. “And, I could use a little snack, yeah,” ever since he could be kept distracted with the idea of helping Loki, he’d been keeping well fed.

Smiling, Loki stood. “Good, let’s get you some food then come back and I can work on this book while you inventory the attic.” He held out a hand to his lover.

Taking Loki’s hand, TJ let his lover lead him outside, the snow falling in thick flakes. Grinning at Loki, TJ tugged the ghost outside and jumped into a thick pile of snow, and then started to make a snow angel.

Blinking, Loki watched TJ play in the snow, looking puzzled. He merely stood there, still dressed in his normal summer Victorian garments, standing on top of the snow without leaving any prints. “Uh . . . enjoying yourself?”

“Oh, c’mon, don’t look at me like you’ve never played in the snow before!” TJ grinned, carefully getting up, snow covering his back and hair, and displaying the form of an angel in the snow to Loki.

“Wasn’t permitted,” Loki answered, though he smiled at the image of both the snow angel and the snow-covered vampire. “You look like you’d be chilly if not for being a vampire.”

Grinning, TJ nodded, shaking the snow off his back and then reaching down to ball up some of the snow in his hands. He turned and tossed the ball at Loki, seeming so at ease and happy.

Loki instinctively caught the ball but it crumbled to powder in his hands. Just as Loki caught the one ball, another one smacked against Loki’s chest, exploding on impact.

Frowning, he looked up from his snowy hands and clothing. “You . . . what was that for?”

“Snowball fight, Loki! C’mon,” TJ grinned at his lover.

“But I have no call to fight with you,” Loki responded, looking utterly bewildered.

“It’s fun! The snow doesn’t hurt, right?” TJ smiled, balling up another projectile in his hands. “C’mon, it’s fun. Tap into my energy to keep solid. You know I’m about to feed, so I’m good.”

“Nothing actually _hurts_ , TJ,” Loki sighed, still frowning in confusion. “How can fighting with the man I love be _fun_?” The spirit remained solid enough.

“Oh, c’mon, Loki, it’s a game . . . like tag and hide and seek,” TJ urged his lover.

“Oh, a _game_ ,” Loki nodded. He squatted down, gathered snow together, and stood. Looking at TJ, Loki merely held the ball of snow in one hand, not launching it.

TJ threw his third ball, hitting Loki in the shoulder, the vampire actually giggling a bit, the corners of his eyes crinkling up with the expression.

“And the object of this game is what, my love?” Loki called back. “Certain body parts are points? Or to make the other soaking wet? Or what?”

Shrugging his shoulders, TJ answered, “you’re thinking too much into it. Just throw it at me. It’s supposed to be kinda a mindless game to pass time with?”

Nodding, Loki said, “well, if it’s mindless and doesn’t hurt . . .” he lobbed the snowy missile at his lover, smacking TJ directly in the forehead and watching as the snow rained down the brunet’s face. “How was that?” a small smile tugged at Loki’s lips though he tried to hide it.

TJ laughed, shaking his head to get the snow out of his curls, “there you go! How was that? Fun, huh?” TJ bent down to get another ball of snow in his hands.

“Fun? To pelt you with snowballs for no purpose or points?” Loki shook his head. “I can hardly find the fun in such sport,” but the smile playing at his lips belied the claim.

“You’re having fun and you know it!” TJ grinned brightly, tossing the snowball between his hands for a few moments.

Loki let fly another snowball TJ hadn’t even seen him move to get. The powdery cold ball smacked into TJ’s abdomen, spreading cold over the immune vampire. “Ah, but I’m not permitted to have fun, only study and learn.”

“Well, I say you’re permitted fun, and that’s what matters right?” TJ called back, taking a few steps closer to Loki, his bright red eyes shining with happiness.

Finally smiling widely, Loki nodded and let another snowball lift from the ground, form, and fly towards TJ, hitting him in the pelvis right above the crotch, “Oops!” Loki laughed out and turned to run towards the stables.

“Uh huh, totally did that on accident,” TJ teased before pouncing on Loki with enough force to knock him off his feet, making the taller man fall backwards into a plush, pillow-like mountain of snow. “Hey,” TJ purred softly.

“Hey,” Loki purred back, just as softly. He blinked his ice-green eyes and met TJ’s lips in a long kiss. “So, what’s a soaking wet ragamuffin like you doing in a stable yard like this?” The raven-haired man drew one hand down TJ’s chest to his flank.

“Oh, I don’t know, I heard that there’s this really sexy guy up here that has a terribly old sense of fashion,” TJ grinned, kissing again, grinding down a bit on Loki’s pelvis.

With a soft groan of desire, Loki kissed back, “yeah, but not so terrible. Fashion may change, but I wear mine well.” He smiled and kissed TJ’s neck, nipping lightly, barely felt in the incorporeal form.

“You need more energy, babe?” TJ asked softly, kissing the side of Loki’s mouth.

“You need more feeding, my love,” Loki responded, chuckling. “We can love afterwards.” Loki caressed his hands over TJ’s chest once more, wishing he could find a way not to have to take so much of his lover’s energy just to remain corporeal.

Nodding, TJ kissed Loki’s lips, nipping a bit before pushing off his lover to head towards some deer on the edge of the woods. He didn’t see the flashlights in the distance, obviously people searching for something in the forest.

Turning his head, smiling, watching his lover, Loki blinked and let his eyes shift past TJ to the pinpricks of moving light. Hissing in shock, Loki called out, “TJ!”

TJ stopped and turned back to look at Loki, “what?” He hissed in return.

“Light,” Loki nodded towards the flashlights heading slowly in their direction. “Into the stable! We’ll use that cow herd!” He knew they’d used the group the night before, but the cows were large and could handle another lost pint. Loki wouldn’t risk TJ out there in the woods with people around.

Nodding, TJ bolted into the barn, shutting the door just in earshot of those breaking out of the forest-line. “That is the third one in a month! Somethin’ ain’t right. It’s not all animal attacks!” One of the voices of the men looking through the forest came to TJ and Loki in the barn.

Loki swallowed silently and gripped TJ’s arm. He led the vampire carefully to the far side, behind the large cows sheltering from the weather, knowing that the people could easily be looking for their missing cows. Not wanting to risk TJ fading too quickly, Loki let himself become almost transparent, his voice a faint whisper, as he instructed, “drink a pint, TJ. I shall keep watch.”

“What? Now?” TJ asked, shocked, the light from the flashlights making it through the boards of the barn.

“If you stay down and very quiet you can get some energy before they try the doors. Hurry,” Loki whispered, watching the stable doors in earnest.

Nodding, TJ quickly, quietly started to feed off one of the cows, praying no one came inside to investigate.

Loki glanced over at TJ and whispered, “only a pint, my love. Good boy.”

TJ stopped at a pint, lapping at the wounds to heal the cow as the the voices got closer and closer.

Nodding, Loki gestured towards the hayloft. “Up there, my love. GIve me a moment.” In order not to let TJ leave any tracks, Loki slipped his arms under the vampire’s arms and lifted, floating him up to the hayloft and landing just as the large doors opened and several flashlights shone through the door. Loki stayed still, very faint, and watched the men below.

“And that Jenny girl? Found with her neck ripped out? That ain’t no animal attack!” Another one of the men whispered, shining the flashlight into the barn.

One of the other men looked stunned at the small herd of cows, none tied, all eating the hay in the barn. “Hey, ain’t this Jenkins’ herd? Went missing about two months ago? No one could find it?” He looked around and shook his head, “how’d the hell no one look in here?”

“This place is cursed! Evil runs through the dirt, even!” The first man that had spoken said, “I say we burn down the house and be done wit’ it! Ain’t no one gonna buy it!”

TJ snarled a bit, inching closer to the edge of the hayloft.

Loki covered TJ’s mouth with his hand and whispered softly, “legally, that’s arson and this place is owned. Just no one’s come to take claim yet.” Loki kissed TJ’s cheek. “Calm yourself, my love.”

The man who’d identified the berd sighed and pushed his wool cap back on his head with a scratching sound. “I ain’t getting arrested for starting no fires. This ain’t our land!” He shook his head and backed out. “If it’s cursed, let Jenkins get his own damn cows.”

“It ain’t no one’s lands! The last Laufeyson died almost fifty years ago! That Thor fellow dyin’ in that train wreck,” the first man said with a soft growl, his flashlight flickering over the hayloft and then back to the cows.

“Yeah,” the second agreed, “but he sure as hell must’ve left a will somewhere. I ain’t gonna tangle with lawyers and owners, even if they are absent.”

“C’mon, let’s just get outta here,” the first man tugged the third, following the second out of the barn, “gotta find that beast that killed Jenny.”

“Looked like a wolf mighta done it. Ain’t seen no wild wolves around here, but they’re slick animals. Might be watching us as we prowl around. Should we go on up to the house?” the man who’d identified the herd looked towards the grand old, dilapidated structure.

“I ain’t goin’ into that house!” the third man shook his head, “no way in hell!”

“Coward,” the second man snorted but turned his light and steps towards the town. “We’ll come back in the daylight when ya got your teddy bear with ya.”

The man’s reply was lost due to the distance and strong winds blowing in. TJ waited several long moments before whispering, “have you ever had wolves here?”

“Yes, a small pack lives over the top of the hill in the thicker forest on the back of the land. THey might have all died out from the hunting. The men of the town hate wolves and have been trying to kill them for a century.” Loki sighed, stroking down TJ’s spine softly.

“Sounds like they mighta killed one of those kids that came to the house . . .” TJ murmured softly.

“Not likely,” Loki sighed. “Sounds to me like a supernatural did it.” He slipped from the floor and headed towards the hayloft ladder down. “You need to finish feeding, Teej.”

“A supernatural? Like a vampire?” TJ blinked, clamoring down the ladder to make it to the ground level.

Nodding, Loki led TJ back to the rear of the herd, making sure TJ didn’t go for the one he’d just fed from. “This town is full of hunters, TJ, for a reason. We often get vampires and sometimes even werewolves through here.”

“There’s _werewolves_?” TJ balked, mouth dropping open in shock.

Looking at TJ, Loki asked, “you never suspected?” Shaking his head, the raven-haired man added, “your Sire, Sean, never told you that you’re in supernatural lands here?”

Shaking his head, TJ answered, “he didn’t really tell me much other than I needed to feed everyday?”

“When you’re older as a vampire, it will be once a week then once a month, but never longer than that.” Loki reached over and tapped TJ’s cheek. “Feed and heal her. We should get back to the house quickly, make sure things are packed so you can move out and have funds if needed.”

“What?” TJ shook his head and said, “I’m not leaving you.”

Sighing, Loki said, “hopefully we have time to find a way for me to join you, but let’s start with tonight. Feed so we can go back and I can read that last journal.” Loki stroked TJ’s spine again.

Nodding, TJ quickly fed off the herd inside the barn before going with Loki back inside. They made it back into the study, TJ sitting on his lounger while Loki settled in for a long night of reading. Softly, TJ said, “I’m not leaving without you.”

Loki glanced up and nodded then looked back at the journal, knowing that to keep his lover safe, he’d have to find a way to leave that room and house. Slowly, he sensed someone, felt someone coming closer. Looking back up, Loki whispered, “TJ? Do you . . . _feel_ that?”

Just as TJ stood up, frowning, a voice called, one so familiar to Loki - - a voice he never thought he’d hear again, “Loki? I know you’re in here . . .”

Standing slowly, Loki moved to the window and peeked out to the figure below. He blinked and whispered, “Jonathan?” But . . . something felt wrong. Softly, Loki said, “TJ, get to the music room. Don’t disturb the salt. Now!”

“Will he hurt you?” TJ hissed softly, feeling his hair stand up on end, a powerful feeling of darkness surrounding him.

“I will join you in the music room or go to the library where the weapons are, But I can go through walls and floors. Get to the room and beyond that salt. Pour salt in front of the windows and French doors as well. Make it so he can’t get in there.” Loki continued to watch his former lover, trying to sense why there was a _wrongness_ around him. Softly, as if at the end of his energy, Loki called out the window, “Jonathan? Is that you at last?”

As TJ went into the music room, Jonathan entered the home, stepping into the foyer of the run-down mansion. “Loki . . . you are here? Once I heard that the manor was . . . haunted, I knew it was you - - after what that bastard put you through.” The man, Jonathan, was handsome, even looked a lot like Loki in some ways. He was tall and fit, thought his hair was blond and combed back, away from his features, and, of course, the bright red eyes gave away his true nature.

Walking down the steps, almost completely transparent, Loki said, “you have come back. It has been so long.” He looked over his former love and took in Jonathan’s complete appearance as well as his twisted nature. Sadly, Loki realized that vampirism had turned his lover as evil as his father had predicted. “The townsfolk were here this night looked for a killer of a local girl. They wanted to burn my home down . . . a home I am bound to, it seems.”

“Feed off me, my love,” Jonathan offered, giving Loki a smile, his fangs glinting in the moonlight, his porcelain skin practically glowing.

Loki tilted his head, floating barely above the floor. “Feed on you? I do not understand?” Loki played on his innocent reputation from way back when.

“Take my energy, just a little bit, I know you can feel me - - feel my power,” Jonathan gave Loki a gentle smile, his hand hovering just over Loki’s face.

“Why do I need to steal your energy, Jonathan? You must need it. I am . . . dead. What good could it do me now? Father made sure I would suffer here untouchable.” Loki began slowly glide-stepping towards the library and music room, down the hall. “And you have finally come to me? You have finally returned.”

Loki felt a sudden surge of energy, Jonathan actually pushing his own energy onto Loki, and the spirit could feel the raw power running through him.

Gasping, feeling painful burning along with the surge, Loki cried out, “that hurts!” He turned horrified eyes on his former lover. “What did you do to me? Why?” He backed towards the music room, not the library with its silvered weapons.

As Jonathan followed Loki, he suddenly stiffened and sniffed the air, “you’re harboring a newborn, Loki . . . now, what could you possibly need with a newborn?” Jonathan took a step towards the music room. The energy surge faded.

Loki glided back over the threshold, as if moving back a step. “I rescued a starving newborn, helped him feed,a nd the winter came in. He is trying to repay me by finding a way I can be free of that cursed room my father locked me in, of this wretched house.” The truth of his words radiated from the honest spirit, even if he kept other things to himself.

“I can take him off your hands, Loki, a newborn is no easy feat to control. What happened to his master?” Jonathan took another step towards the music room.

“The townspeople captured him and used silver and a stake on him,” Loki reported. “And why would I wish to dispose of him if he is being so good to me? He has not been a threat.” Loki remained still this time since he was already over the line of salt. He tilted his head and watched Jonathan. “You . . . _feel_ different?”

“I’m older, Loki, more powerful. I have learned many things on my travels . . . have read ways to help you,” Jonathan glanced into the music room and grinned when he saw a pair of bright red eyes looking back at him, “well, hello there, little one. Come on out, I can help you.” Jonathan took another step but frowned fiercely when he found he couldn’t enter the room. Looking down, Jonathan frowned worse and then looked up at Loki, “why is there salt laid out?”

Loki looked at the ground and said, “a teenager poured it there to block evil, unholy things.” He looked up at Jonathan, not revealing that TJ was the teenager. “This place _is_ haunted, after all, and sometimes the local youth dare each other to come up here. This is TJ, my guest. TJ, this is Jonathan, the lover I told you of.” Loki remained where he was, “Jonathan, you have changed much.” He sounded sad. “Are you really unable to cross into my music room?”

“Loki, this is ridiculous,” Jonathan snapped, baring his fangs, “disrupt the salt line and let me pass!”

Frowning, Loki shook his head, “if you can reassure me that you will not harm TJ and bare me no ill will for things beyond my control, I shall, Jonathan. But if you truly have become unholy, I will find it difficult to believe your words.” He stepped back once more, his movement drawing attention to the salt line in front of the French doors as well. It wasn’t clear if TJ had been trapped in the room or if he was, as yet, untainted.

“Of course I wouldn’t hurt you!” Jonathan sounded appalled, “and why would I hurt one of my own? We are so few!” 

Nodding, Loki walked out of the music room and directly up to Jonathan, but he did not call to TJ to join him. “I am here, Jonathan.”

“Loki, you have to listen to me, I think I have found a way for you to leave this place,” Jonathan met Loki’s eyes, his own red ones searching his lover’s features.

“You have risked coming back to these dangerous lands to help me escape?” Loki offered his sweet smile. He didn’t try to touch the vampire, knowing the least amount of contact, the best all around. He couldn’t risk Jonathan craving his touch, his ability to ease the energy overflow in the strong vampire. “I thank you, Jonathan. You were ever good to me.” He made no moves towards the silvered weapons in the next room, knowing Jonathan could easily sense the metal. Loki didn’t want Jonathan to feel threatened by him or TJ.

“Yes, I just need to find you a mortal to possess,” Jonathan nodded, glancing into the music room and then back at Loki.

“Stealing a body is immoral,” Jonathan,” Loki looked troubled.

“Do you wish to stay in this house forever, Loki?” Jonathan frowned softly, meeting Loki’s eyes.

“No, but I refuse to _steal_ a body. If a mortal is willing to give one to me, I would take it, I think. But I would not deliberately kill someone to steal the body, Jonathan.” Loki sighed. “But the knowledge is helpful. Perhaps there are more ways than the one?”

Suddenly, Loki glanced towards the front door. “Jonathan, the back door. Hurry! Someone is coming.”

Rolling his eyes, Jonathan shook his head, “really? You think some humans scare me, Loki? Do you wish for me to take care of them?”

“Please, Jonathan, TJ is too weak to take on the villagers. He barely controls his feedings as it is. Don’t force him into a fight!” Loki gestured, “I can hide him, but you are far too powerful. I cannot hide _you_ , Jonathan. And you did say there are so few of your kind left?”

Narrowing his eyes a bit, Jonathan nodded once but warned, “I will be back.” And in a flash of speed, Jonathan disappeared down the steps and out the back door.

Loki turned to the library and told TJ, “hide, my love. There is a panel behind the piano, another priest hole if you will. Father was ever paranoid.”

“Who’s coming?” TJ asked, slinking out of his dark corner and heading towards the panel that Loki had pointed out.

“I will go look,” Loki assured TJ and headed for the front, stunned and a bit terrified that he had too much energy in him to go transparent. He instead slipped into the front parlor to look out that curtained window, spotting a team of people with cases. Running back to the music room, Loki shook his head, “people with cases? I’ve seen the type once before. Investigators of the supernatural. We must leave the house so they think it’s not haunted.” Loki took TJ’s hand and led him to the French doors.

“You can’t leave though!” TJ hissed softly, his lips pulled back in a snarl.

“I can stay on the property, TJ, I can . . . “ Loki looked at his lover, “show you the wolf den? Yes, we can go to the wolf den. No investigator goes out there. And it is on the property still.” Loki shuddered, wondering suddenly if the little herd of cows would be slaughtered by Jonathan while they were gone.

“Aren’t wolves and vampires like . . . enemies or something?” TJ whispered, his eyes meeting Loki’s.

Shaking his head, Loki tugged TJ behind him. “Vampires and _werewolves_ , maybe, but wolves don’t mind either species.”

**************

“Aye, you hear that, Greg?” Someone whispered, the front door opening and closing. “Please tell me you’re filming. Because I swear I just heard voices talking!”

“Haven’t even got my camera out of the case, Sheila!” Greg complained, hurrying to kneel down and get his equipment set up. “Where?”

“Right upstairs!” The woman said, holding an odd device that let out a series of beeps, “man, the readings are off the charts!”

Loki looked towards the music room door and pushed TJ out through the French doors, no time to shut them once more. “We have to go now!” he whispered.

“Evil,” a second woman moaned softly. “Death . . . blood . . . _murder_!”

“Damn!” Greg whined, still struggling with his camera.

“Will you get that damn thing set up already?” Sheila snapped.

“I’ve never had trouble with this before! It’s like something doesn’t _want_ me using it,” Greg protested. He pulled out his phone instead and held it up, pushing record.

“I’m going upstairs,” Sheila said, sounding annoyed.

Greg looked up, “those steps will fall through, Sheila! You can’t go up those!”

“Well, I have to get up somehow! I swear, something was talking up there!”

“The music room,” the third person moaned softly. “There was someone there . . . evil and . . . something else, something sad and lonely. Perhaps the evil is keeping . . . Holy shit!” The woman stopped, eyes widening, as she spied the salt across the door. “Someone’s already been here. Salted the door!”

“Janie, what evil?” Sheila asked, looking down at the salt line and then around the hall they stood in. 

Closing her eyes once more, Janie swallowed, hands shaking. She said, “there’s evil and blood, murder, many souls killed. The evil is faint, it’s not _here_ right now. It’s a lingering hint?” She opened her eyes and looked at the salt. “But I feel it in there, as well. Was this salt put down to keep it in there? Why didn’t anyone tell me any rituals had been done here before?”

“We didn’t know,” Sheila commented, stepping over the salt line, into the music room. “Look, these french doors are opened!” She pointed them out to Greg who manned the camera.

Greg filmed the French doors, walking carefully over the salt line and heading back to join his co-investigator. “There’s steps in the snow. Damn it, probably some damn kid!”

“The kitchen feels like death,” Janie called out, “and there are steps here, as well.” She paused, “and a sturdy set of steps up!”

Sheila walked over and scrunched her nose at the sight of a dirty glass sitting on the counter of the kitchen. “Wait . . .” she took a step and her eyes widened in horror, “holy shit! Is that blood?” She plucked up the glass and held it up for the light of Greg’s phone filming.

Janie frowned and said, “ghosts don’t drink blood. Stupid teens pretending at sacrifices do.” She shook he head, “this place is contaminated by idiot teens!”

“What about the upstairs?” Sheila pointed to the sturdy set of steps.

“Maybe no one went up there?” Greg asked, looking up. “We can at least try. You heard voices up there? If anything, we can catch the kids in the act and get them arrested for trespassing!”

Sheila nodded, making her way up the stairs, moving with caution, though nothing could be done to stop the creaking floorboards. “Janie? You feel anything?” Sheila asked, looking over her shoulder.

Shaking her head, Janie claimed, “very faint hints of loneliness and death. Hunger? A lot of hunger.” She walked up behind the other two and turned towards the back rooms, inexorably drawn to the feeling of death and imprisonment. Stopping in front of the triple locked door, she whispered, “what could they have locked in there? Hunger . . . loneliness . . . regret and heartbreak . . .”

TJ looked up at Loki, whispering, “how long they planning on being in there? And how long can we trust Jonathan to stay away and not slaughter them?”

Hiding in the priest hole near the music room, relieved the team had been distracted from checking for them further in that room, Loki said, “I have no idea. We should have left. Now they'll see us if we try, TJ.”

“Can you scare them like before?” TJ asked, keeping his voice low.

“TJ, these people _want_ to catch me trying to scare them The more activity they find, the longer they’ll stay. We have to pretend not to exist. If we . . .” Loki suddenly stiffened and hissed, “they found my room . . . the hole in Thor’s wall . . . TJ, what if they force me to the other side?”

Growling, TJ said, “I’ll go force them outta here!” The vampire moved to get out.

“No! They’ll hurt you.” Loki suddenly rose through the air towards his room above. He moved right past, transparent, and into the attic. Once up there, he pushed over a trunk, causing a loud thump and clatter.

Rolling his eyes, TJ shook his head, grumbling to himself as Loki faded away.

Sheila jumped and looked up, eyes wide, “what the hell was that?” Torn between staying where the body was and the noise that just happened.

Greg shook his head, still filming the desiccated body on the bed. “Someone locked this guy in here and let him starve, I think. Wasn’t one of the sons from the early nineteen hundreds insane? Could this be that guy?”

Janie sniffed and shook he head, “I sense the hunger, faintly, and that makes sense.” She pulled out some bundled sticks and grass and lit one end, wafting the smoke over the room. “Sage will get the spirits to move. We can exorcise the ghosts.”

Greg frowned, “not before we get good evidence, Janie! C’mon, this place could be what proves ghosts exist!”

The physic turned and began arguing with the technician.

Loki made his careful way back down to TJ’s side. “They made it so I cannot enter my room. If I run out of energy, TJ, I will be drifting and in pain.”

“I can get them out, please, let me help?” TJ met Loki’s eyes.

“I don’t want you caught or hurt, my love,” Loki whispered, hugging himself as he felt his ties to his room breaking, painfully, one by one. He let out a groan and his eyes opened in horror at the soft sound.

“These guys are just lame TV show wannabees . . .” TJ saw the pain in Loki’s face and said, “fuck this!” He slipped out of hiding spot and carefully made his way to the three humans in the home, trying to think of a way to get them to leave without harming them. Though being that close to human blood caused his stomach to rumble.

Moving into the study on quiet feet, TJ scooped up the bouncy ball and chucked it at the wall, causing another loud thud to echo throughout the home.

The argument ended abruptly and Janie and Greg looked towards the noise. “That was close by!” Greg breathed. He hurried from the bedroom, his phone camera running.

Hiding right by the door, anticipating the human running towards the noise, TJ licked his lips, pushing away his hunger at the delectable scent of human blood. As soon as Greg ran in, TJ moved with a speed he didn’t know he had, slamming the phone out of Greg’s hand and letting out a growl, his piercing white fangs and blood red eyes really the only thing visible.

Greg screamed as if being murdered and flipped to his hands and knees, crawling as fast as he could out of the small room. He didn’t wait for the women, wetting himself as he headed down the kitchen steps and for the back door. Greg felt such terror he forgot he left a five thousand dollar camera in the front hall.

“Greg!” Sheila shouted, looking at Janie and then at the door, fear in her eyes. 

Outside, another being with red eyes and sharp teeth stepped on Greg’s hand, grinding down, seeming to come out of nowhere. “My, my . . .” Jonathan purred, “seems like someone crawled right into my web.”

Inside the home, Sheila jumped and shouted at the sounds of screams coming from the backyard of the large home. “Oh my God!” Sheila grabbed Janie’s hand and tugged her out of Loki’s bedroom.

Janie groaned and pulled away. “No! The evil, murder . . .they’re back there! Go to the front!” She turned and headed for the very unstable front steps, falling through the floor and impaling herself. She began bleeding heavily, gurgling.

“Oh my God!” Sheila screamed in horror, turning to run down the kitchen steps and out the front door, intent on getting help from the locals. That house needed to be burned down!

TJ could smell Janie bleeding out and he groaned, licking his lips, his tongue running over sharp fangs. He walked towards the front steps, looking down through the hole in the staircase. A cold hand encircled TJ’s bicep and Loki said, “TJ, run! To the stables! Jonathan’s in a frenzy!” He tugged, hard.

“But . . .” TJ shook his head, groaning as another wave of fresh human blood hit him, “smells so good!”

“TJ, vampires in a frenzy will feast on each other!” Loki informed him, tugging. “The stables! There’s some deer in there eating the straw!”

Whimpering, TJ tore his eyes away from the tempting meal and hurried out of the home, stopping short at the sight of Jonathan feeding on Greg, the investigator torn to pieces, just a few feet away from the door.

Jonathan’s eyes snapped up and he pulled away from his meal, chin coated in blood.

“No!” Loki turned TJ and forced him across the veranda and into the corner behind the salt. He stood protectively nearby, nearly transparent since his room had been attacked.

Jonathan stepped up the steps of the veranda, walking slowly towards Loki and TJ. “Oh, come now, Loki. The little one needs to feed, doesn’t he? I can share. I’m a very good sharer.”

“I won’t let him turn with another human meal, now he knows another way. He’s over six months. Human blood will taint him now!” Loki shook his head, insistent on protecting TJ from becoming like Jonathan or Sean.

“I can see the look in his eyes, he wants it so bad,” Jonathan purred, taking another step towards the pair, “it’s in his nature, Loki. It’s what he is . . . it’s what he needs.”

“No!” Loki screamed at Jonathan. “I won’t let him become twisted like you have!”

A sudden gunshot echoed through the air and Jonathan lurched forward, bone shattering as the silver bullet ripped through his shoulder. Another shot caught the vampire off guard, ripping through the flesh of his hip, bringing him to his knees.

Human voices, lots of them, shouted and several other gunshots ripped through the air, hitting the house as they missed the targets.

“My God,” Loki hissed. “I cannot save you both!” Loki sounded genuinely distressed by the idea. “I can only help one of you!”

Groaning, putting a hand to the more serious injury, the one on his shoulder, Jonathan gasped, “I can give . . . you my body, Loki . . .”

“Jonathan . . .” Loki whimpered, kneeling. “God, what do I do?” He could stand the idea of letting his former lover die, twisted as his nature had become.

As Jonathan started to explain the ritual needed, the words that needed to be said, TJ stepped past the salt line, heading directly for the humans.

Looking up, Loki called, “TJ? I can’t do this alone!”

“I’m going to keep them at bay! Do what you need to do!” TJ looked at Loki.

“Please, be careful! Life isn’t worth being here without you!” Loki called in misery, reached down to place his hands on Jonathan’s hip and shoulder.

Running past the remains of Greg, TJ growled at the first human, smacking the shotgun out of his hands and hitting him with a strong blow to the head, not hard enough to kill but definitely hard enough to knock him out cold. TJ’s movements were a blur to the humans around him as he took out the men with the guns first, seeing them as the bigger threats. He took out several men in the matter of moments.

Loki met Jonathan’s eyes and whispered, “are you certain, my love?” His heart ached for the vampire he’d once adored.

“I truly . . . did want to help you . . .” Jonathan nodded, gasping in pain.

Knowing his own pure strength could help heal the wounds caused by the silver, Loki began reciting the words Jonathan had told him, his near eidetic memory coming to his aid. Finally, he leaned down and kissed Jonathan’s lips. “Rest on the other side, Jonathan Pine, my love.” Loki slipped into the shell that remained, the heart still beating while the spirit had deserted early due to the ritual.

TJ kept fighting, keeping the humans at bay while Loki worked on Jonathan. He didn’t kill any of them but did incapacitate them.

One human lifted a metal spike and slammed it, hard, into TJ’s foot and through, into the ground, pinning him with the silver-coated spike. The hunter grinned and spat on TJ. “Fuck you!”

TJ screamed and collapsed to his knee, trying to yank the stake out of his foot but the stake burned his hands. Ignoring the pain erupting in his hands, TJ pulled the stake out and stumbled forward, falling into the snow when his foot couldn’t support his weight.

Suddenly, Jonathan loomed up and, hands wrapped in tatters of Greg’s clothing, grabbed the silver spike, ramming it into the human’s foot to pin him. He turned and knelt by TJ, blood on his shoulder and hip. A voice came to TJ, “the wolf den . . .” sounding like Jonathan but in the gentler, purer tone of Loki. The voice came from Jonathan's lips, his red eyes glowing intently.

Shaking his head, TJ looked at his foot and then whimpered, knowing instantly that this man was Loki, not Jonathan, “I - - I can’t walk . . .”

“The stake is removed, and not broken inside, my heart, but I have silvered bullets eating me from the inside. I cannot lift you. You must try. I promise food when we get there.” Loki stroked his fingers down TJ’s cheek. “Please?”

Whimpering in pain, TJ pushed to his feet, unable to put hardly any weight on his right foot. “Wolf’s den . . .” TJ murmured softly.

Nodding, Loki tried to support his lover, struggling further up the hill towards the trees at the back of the property. Fortunately, no one seemed to notice them as people ran inside the house to look for the vampires they’d been fighting. Loki didn’t look back at his home, no longer bound to the building, the room, or the corpse. He managed to half carry, half drag TJ to the wolf’s den he spoke of, a circle of trees and a large cave in the earth. Several deer roamed around, no sign of any wolves. Loki reached for a deer and coaxed it to TJ, the animal somehow trusting Loki’s purity. “Feed, but only a pint, my love. She has a fawn nearby.”

“Your . . . your hip and shoulder,” TJ pushed at Loki’s clothing to get a better look at the wound.

Loki sank to his ass and let TJ see the straight bullet holes, burned on the edges, into his left hip and right shoulder. A hint of silver glinted from both wounds. Loki looked down at the injuries and turned his eyes back to TJ. “We need to remove those.” Loki fought the pain.

Nodding, pushing up with a hiss, TJ pushed Loki to lay flat on his back and said, “I need to get the bullets out.” He didn’t seem worried about his own serious injury or hunger.

Loki whimpered at last and said, “almost miss being a spirit. No pain that way.” He lifted his eyes to meet TJ’s. “If you use a knife, wrap your fingers in cloth so you don’t touch the metal bullets?”

Looking down at his already blistered and ruined hands, TJ shook his head and said, “I’m fine, the knife won’t bother me more than this.” He pulled out a knife from his pocket, one with a wooden handle, and put one hand to Loki’s left shoulder to keep him still. “Okay, ready?”

Keeping his eyes trained on TJ’s, Loki gasped out, “ready. Shoulder first. It’s the worst.”

Nodding, TJ made quick work of wrapping his already blistered fingers in cloth and then digging the knife into Loki’s flesh, digging out the first of the bullets.

Loki groaned and brought his good hand up to his mouth, stuffing cloth in between his teeth and biting down to block his scream. He closed his eyes briefly as the bullet popped free. Opening pain-filled eyes, Loki breathed out, “thank you. How are you holding up, my love?”

“I’m fine,” TJ panted softly, moving down to Loki’s hip and holding him down in the same manner. “Okay, deep breath.”

“Okay,” Loki murmured then breathed in deeply, eyes steady despite tears of pain misting them. He slipped the cloth back into his mouth.

TJ did the same with the other bullet, fishing it out of its place deeply embedded in Loki’s hip. He popped the bullet free and then slumped off to the side, his hands beginning to tremble as he shoved them in the snow in an attempt to stop the burning . . . though it had little affect.

Loki lifted both hands, his shoulder fiery with pain. He turned and whimpered as he dragged over to another doe, carefully coax her to TJ’s side. Looking at his now mentor, Loki said, “show me how to take a pint? Feed and show me so I can feed from one of the others?”

Whimpering softly, TJ nodded, trying to push up, but he felt so weak and his hands burned and his foot throbbed and burned so bad that he wondered if it would be better to just cut it off. He grabbed the doe and bit into her neck, right over the pulse point, drinking the animal’s blood.

“Only a pint, my heart, show me only a pint so I can feed as well,” Loki said softly.

Pulling back, TJ lapped at the doe’s neck and then let his head fall back into the snow, chin coated in blood.

Nodding, Loki let the doe rejoin the herd then crawled after her to another deer. He carefully imitated what he’s been shown, using his great force of will to resist the temptation burning to take more, drink her dry. Instead, he pulled off after an estimated pint and healed her wound. Collapsing to the ground among the herd, Loki closed his eyes and whispered, “the burning is easing?”

TJ nodded and pushed up from the snow covered ground, the blisters on his hands already beginning to heal but the wound on his foot still hurt. “Yeah . . . blood helps lots of things . . .”

“I understand your hunger, my heart, but we must be careful. There are now two of us to feed. We need to move to a bigger herd . . . and area with more animals.” Loki sighed and approached another doe to feed on another pint, licking his lips as he finished and healed her. Loki crawled back to TJ’s side. “We need to get inside. The dawn is coming, TJ.”

“Yeah . . .” TJ nodded and forced himself to his feet, groaning in pain as he put any weight on his right foot. “Get inside . . .” He made his way into the protected cave and collapsed to the side, laying against the cool stone.

Loki crawled in, dragging his left leg, barely using his right arm. “Away from the door, my heart. The light of the sun . . . I don’t know if it reaches inside.” Loki brushed his lips over TJ’s hand as he crawled awkwardly past. A soft whimper echoed from the darkness Loki had crawled into.

Dragging himself further into the cave, TJ made it to where Loki had gone and said, “with the feeding, you should heal. It’ll be okay,” TJ said softly, assuming the whimper had come from him.

“Thank you,” Loki softly breathed. “Come, lay with me, my love? Cuddle me?” Another soft whimper came, this time from further inside the darkness. “I do not know what is with us here.”

“Sounds scared . . .” TJ pushed to his hands and knees, crawling towards the noise.

A she wolf with a litter lay there, her paw bloody and damaged. Obviously she was unable to go out to feed so couldn’t log produce milk for her pups. The wolf whimpered again, trying to lick at one of the pups.

Hissing softly in pain, TJ lowered himself further to the ground to present himself as no threat to the wolf. He made it to right in front of the injured animal and gently started lapping at her paw, healing it within moments.

The wolf lifted her head and lapped at TJ’s face, her tongue warm on his cold flesh. Rising to her feet, apparently trusting this stranger with her litter, she padded out, past Loki, to go hunt a meal for her family.

Loki crawled in the direction TJ had gone. “A wolf just passed me?”

“She was hurt,” TJ murmured, laying his head on the cool stone, right next to the little wolf pups, “she’s gonna go hunt for them. She’ll be back.”

“I hate to see that herd taken down, but if she doesn’t go for one of those does, she’ll be slaughtered by that mob!” Loki looked worried, counting pups. “Six pups, TJ. She has a big litter.”

“Want me to go out and make sure she’ll be okay?” TJ asked, not even realizing the sun had already started to rise.

“No, we’ll wait here. Hopefully she’ll make it. Dawn was far too close, TJ.” Loki reached out to stroke his lover’s face. “May I see your damaged foot?”

“Knock yourself out,” TJ murmured softly, turning so he lay on his back.

Chuckling, Loki murmured, “the odd things you say.” He began checking over the impaled foot, carefully picking out scrapes of show and cloth, dirt, rocks, and leaves from the wound, cleaning it out as best he could to enable healing. He looked up at noise in the cave entrance then relaxed as the wolf dragged in her kill: one of the fawns. Loki knew such was life.

One of the wolf pups shifted from its spot with its litter-mates and crawled right onto TJ’s chest, plopping down on the vampire’s chest, causing the brunet to huff and let out a soft laugh.

“I think you are a popular nanny,” Loki teased, smiling as he watched the wolf eating her meal so she could produce milk for her family. He fought his own urge to take some of her meal, knowing she needed it all.

“So, doc, think I’m gonna lose the foot?” TJ asked with a crooked smile.

Ripping his eyes from the wolf, Loki licked his lips and shook his head. “No, it’ll heal, my heart. I cleaned it out for you. Now it should hurt less as it tries to re-knit.”

Humming softly, absently stroking the pup’s fur, TJ nodded, “yeah, that’s good . . . that’s real good. Smells good, huh? All that blood?”

“Do not tempt me, my heart. She needs it far more than we do. We fed. She must feed the pups.” Loki met TJ’s eyes.

“Wanna come and lay your head right here?” TJ patted a free spot on his chest, “apparently I make a very good pillow.”

Smiling, Loki eased his aching body over to his lover’s side and lay down so his head rested on TJ’s shoulder. “I love you, TJ Hammond.”

For the first time in six months, TJ finally replied, “I love you, too, Loki Laufeyson.” He wrapped his arm around Loki and held him close.


End file.
